/ 



\ 



JU 

COMMENTARY 

ON THE 

REVELATION 

OF 

ST. JOHN, THE DIVINE. 



BY 

THOMAS WHITTEMORE. 



BOSTON: 
PUBLISHED BY JAMES M. USHER, 

37 CORNHILL. 

1848. 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1S48, by 
THOMAS WHITTEMORE, 
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. 



STEREOTYPED BY 

GEORGE A. CURTIS; 

NEW ENGLAND TYPE AND STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY. 



7 



I 



A. 



PREFACE. 



The Apocalypse has generally been regarded as a very dark 
and difficult book. This opinion has been so prevalent that it 
has been thought a mark of wisdom not to attempt to explain it. 
One author says, " Calvin was wise, because he wrote not on the 
Apocalypse." That the work is more difficult for us to understand 
than it was for those to whom it was originally addressed, we 
Have no doubt. It was to them probably a work of deep interest, 
a profitable contemplation, and a source of high hope. They 
-iad means of understanding it which we do not, and cannot, 
have. But because we have not all their advantages, shall we 
not attempt to understand it at all ? What made the book so 
dark to Calvin, Graserus, Whitby, and others ? Perhaps they 
looked at it under peculiar disadvantages. For our part, we are 
willing to confess, that if a man believes the Apocalypse was not 
written until after the destruction of Jerusalem, and if he believes 
in the common notions concerning the day of God's wrath, the 
judgment of the dead, the great dragon, the bottomless pit, &c, 
&c, he cannot understand the book. He will be continually 
hampered by his pre-conceived system ; and, in harmony with 
such a system, no probable interpretation can be given. Although 
Professor Stuart has produced an excellent work upon the 



4 PREFACE. 

Apocalypse, — the most consistent and valuable, we thinly of any 
we have ever seen, — yet he was manifestly troubled and warped 
in his judgment in interpreting certain parts by his theological 
system, or creed, especially his belief in endless misery, and the 
popular notions of a future judgment. The devotion to creeds 
has done more to prevent the Apocalypse from being fitly inter- 
preted than any other cause. It has produced the most extrava- 
gant and perverted views of it ; and the variety and enormity of 
these views have led thousands to conclude that the work is 
altogether inscrutable to human wisdom. 

But is this book absolutely dark, so that it is impossible for us 
to get at the meaning at all ? Is it impossible to do anything to 
throw light on the chaos ? We think not. If anything can be 
done, ought we not to do it ? Those preachers who seek to 
create excitement and alarm — who operate upon the fears of the 
weak and uninstructed — do not fail to resort to this book. Its 
sublime metaphors and allegories, when misapplied, furnish them 
with rich subjects. Why should not a counter effort be made to 
explain it ? Let us apply the principles of sound criticism to the 
interpretation, and we may do something towards bringing out 
the true sense of the book. Let us gain what light we can now, 
and wait for the advancing day to bring us more. With these 
feelings we have entered upon the effort before us. 

It is proper here to state, that the first form in which this 
commentary appeared was in detached articles in a weekly 
religious paper, conducted by the author. For many years after 
entering the ministry, we paid little or no attention to the 



PREFACE. 5 

Apocalypse. When we glanced at it, as we occasionally did, it 
seemed an utter confusion of metaphors — Alps rising on Alps — 
without order, without design, and defying the power of man to 
interpret it. Whether divine or not, we were persuaded nobody 
could understand it. But as our attention was drawn more and 
more to it, in consequence of its repeated use by those who 
opposed the doctrine of the restitution of all things, we began to 
see here and there (as we thought) glimpses of its meaning. The 
first true thought that struck us, and that was many years ago, 
was this — that the account of the judgment of the " dead small 
and great," in the conclusion of the 20th chapter, must have its 
reference to things that transpired before the kingdom of God 
came with power, because the immediately succeeding passage 
described the descent of the New Jerusalem, and the establish- 
ment of the Messiah's kingdom in the world ; — this fact gained, 
formed a basis for others. The next point was brought to our 
attention by reading an English publication, viz., that the scene 
described in the 20th chapter is laid on the earth ; for the angel 
mentioned in the first verse came down from heaven to earth, 
having the key of the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his 
hand, and therefore the bottomless pit was painted in the scene as 
being on the earth, or why should the angel have brought the 
key ? He laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent which is the 
devil and Satan, (the four terms evidently signifying the same 
thing,) whom he seems to have found on the earth, and bound 
him, and, without carrying him away anywhere else, cast him 
into the bottomless pit. It was the power with which these facts 
1* 



6 PREFACE. 

struck our mind, that led us to write the commentary on the 
chapter referred to, which was published in our religious journal 
many years ago. It is now two years since we were called again 
to explain the 20th chapter of the book. In obedience to that 
request, we republished our former article on the subject, much 
enlarged. This sharpened our desire for a more careful perusal 
of the whole book, and we resolved to begin at the commence- 
ment of it, and publish our views as far as we could see the 
meaning. We begun this plan without any design of republishing 
in book form; but as we proceeded we were more and more 
encouraged, and grew more and more interested, until we arrived 
at the end. Our experience in some respects was like that of 
Dr. Hammond, which we have described in the commentary 
under Rev. i. 1. 

The articles, as they appeared in our religious journal, were 
written under many disadvantages. The author had been suffer- 
ing for some time under a nervous debility, produced at first by 
too great mental action, and irritated exceedingly by other causes. 
He strongly suspected, in the summer of 1846, that the end of his 
earthly career was at hand ; but he still toiled on, believing he 
was engaged in a good work. In the belief that death was near, 
he reviewed the labors of his public life ; and although he saw 
many imperfections in what he had done, he had not a doubt that 
the doctrines he had defended were the doctrines of the Bible. It 
was a great satisfaction to him to reflect that he had labored 
twenty-five years in turning men from darkness to light — from 
the errors of superstition to worthy views of God and his moral 



PREFACE. 7 

government. Let the reader forgive the writer' this brief allusion 
to personal matters. They never can appear to others as they 
appear to himself. We have spoken of the disadvantages under 
which some parts of the commentary were written. During the 
writing the author was obliged to make many journeys into the 
country. He had no other way than to carry his manuscript 
with him, and hence different parts were written in different 
places. 

We had one settled principle of interpretation, and that was to 
compare Scripture with Scripture. Although we derived large 
aid from some commentators upon the Apocalypse, we derived 
much more from the Old Testament, and from the prophecy of 
the Lord Jesus concerning the destruction of Jerusalem. We 
always had this encouragement, when we came to a dark passage, 
that the aid which we needed, if not furnished by other writers 
in the church, we should in all probability find by a patient 
examination of the prophets. Scarcely anything tended more 
strongly to convince us of the divine character of the Apoca- 
lypse than the acquaintance which its author manifested with 
the Old Testament, and the reverence he showed for that book. 
" Let the Bible explain itself," was our motto. No commentators 
upon the New Testament can be of one half the advantage to a 
student in gaining a knowledge of that book, that a thorough ac- 
quaintance with the Old Testament would give him. There are 
parts of the Old Testament which we do not understand, but 
these parts which we can understand convince us that the book 
is immensely valuable ; and that those who cast it away, or 



8 PREFACE. 

in any manner bring it into disrepute, are unsettling, undesign- 
edly perhaps, the foundation of all revealed religion. 

It is scarcely necessary for us to say that the whole commentary 
has been revised from the form in which it first appeared. Many 
illustrations, facts, and arguments have been added, and the work 
thereby has been greatly enlarged. The introduction, containing 
the essays on the authorship of the work, and also on its date, 
is entirely new. By the arguments advanced under these heads 
we know not how others may be affected ; but we are persuaded 
that the Apocalypse was written by the Apostle John, and that it 
had its origin before the destruction of Jerusalem. It is in our 
view a divine book. It bears a striking resemblance to the Old 
Testament, especially to the book of Daniel, although we are 
aware it has points peculiar to itself. It is becoming every day 
better understood, and more highly appreciated. It is of vast 
importance to the understanding of it, that the date should be 
rightly fixed ; and it is a matter of sincere gratification, that com- 
mentators, without distinction of sect, are coming more and more 
to believe that it was written prior to the great and last overthrow 
of the Jewish nation. 

We have proceeded upon the belief that the common English 
version is as correct a translation of the original, taken all in all, 
as any other ; or, at any rate, that it is sufficiently correct to 
enable the careful student, even though he be but an English 
scholar, to gain the sense of the inspired writers. From such a 
conviction, we have avoided, as far as possible, the sprinkling of 
our pages with Greek words and phrases. We would by no 



PREFACE. 9 

means undervalue a knowledge of the original languages in which 
the Bible was written ; but we are persuaded that it is not abso- 
lutely, essential to the knowledge of divine truth. If men will but 
use the common version to the highest advantage to which it may 
be put, we have no fear that they will fail to get a proper per- 
ception of the meaning of the sacred writers. 

With these reflections we submit the work to the public. It 
has been prepared for publication in this form at the urgent 
request of many friends. If it shall be the means of doing any 
good, however small, let the praise be given to Him by whom our 
life has been spared, and our strength measurably continued. 

January 1, 1S48. 



INTRODUCTION. 



We shall consider, in this place, the following questions : 
First, Is the Apocalypse a Divine Book ? and, By whom was it 
written ? 

Second, At what time was it written ? 



FIRST ESSAY. 

IS THE APOCALYPSE A DIVINE BOOK? AND BY WHOM WAS 
IT WRITTEN? 

I. The book claims to be of divine origin. It is said to be 
" The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to 
show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass ; 
and he [i. e., Jesus Christ] sent and signified it by his angel 
unto his servant John." — Rev. i. 1, 4. This is the pretension of 
the book itself. John, the author, styles himself the "brother" 
of the churches, — their "companion in tribulation, and in the 
kingdom and patience of Jesus." — See verse 9. This descrip- 
tion certainly will apply, with much propriety, to John the 
apostle. The author of the book further states, that he was 
banished to " the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, 
and for the testimony of Jesus Christ." — Verse 9. "Was it not 
true that the apostle John was banished to that island on account 
of his devotion to the Christian religion ? We shall see, as we 
proceed. There are but two other instances in the book in 
which the author mentions his name, viz., xxi. 2, and xxii. 8. 



12 



INTRODUCTION. 



In the former he was treating of the descent of the New Jeru- 
salem, or the coming of the kingdom of God with power ; and 
it is a well-known fact, that John the apostle lived until that 
time, although he had become a very old man. Jesus, when on 
earth, had pointed him out as the apostle who should live until 
his coming in his kingdom should take place. — John xxi. 23. 
It was appropriate, then, for the apostle, if he were the author of 
the book, to name himself in this connection. 

II. We will, in the first place, give an abstract of the testi- 
mony of antiquity to the fact that the Apocalypse was written by 
the apostle John. It is supposed, by some, that it was referred 
to by writers in the apostolic age. The shepherd of Hermas 
(A. D. 100) is thought to have imitated in some instances the 
style and sentiments of the Apocalypse ; from which the conclu- 
sion may be drawn, not only that the book was then in existence, 
but also that it was in good credit. For what other reason 
could have tempted to an imitation? 1 Polycarp, who was in 
part contemporary with the apostle John, and was constituted 
bishop of Smyrna (as it is supposed) by him, is thought to have 
received the Apocalypse as the work of the apostle. Irenasus, a 
devoted disciple of Polycarp, is well known to have been a fer- 
vent believer in the Apocalypse as the work of the apostle ; and 
from the devotion with which he leaned to the opinions of Poly- 
carp, it is believed that the latter venerable father also received 
it as a divine book. Prof. Stuart says : — "As Polycarp was 
the personal friend and attendant of John, so was Irenseus of 
Polycarp. Now Irenasus everywhere, and on all occasions, tes- 
tifies his full belief in the apostolic origin of the Apocalypse. 
Could he have done so, if Polycarp had, not believed the same? 
And must not Polycarp have certainly known what was the 
fact, in regard to the authorship of the Apocalypse?" 2 "Is it 

1 Lardner's Works, 8vo., ii., pp. 62—65 ; 4to., i., pp. 311—313. 

2 Stuart on the Apocalypse, vol. L, 301. 



AUTHORSHIP OF THE APOCALYPSE. 



13 



probable," says Prof. Stuart again, " that Irericeus would venture 
on such a point to differ from Polycarp ? Is it probable he did 
not know the opinion of Polycarp in respect to the authorship 
of the Apocalypse ?" 1 But it is also said that " Polycarp has 
cited the Apocalypse once in the only epistle of his that has 
come down to our times ; and that the pious and sublime prayer 
which this holy man uttered at the awful moment when the 
flames were about to be kindled around him begins with the 
identical words of the elders in Rev. xi. 17." 2 

But we pass to testimony of a more undoubted character. 
And here, as we find an abstract well made to our hand, we avail 
ourself of the following extract from an article in the " Univer- 
salist Expositor," for May, 1S33. It was from the pen of the 
learned editor of that work. 

" From the language of Justin Martyr, about A. D. 160, it 
appears that the Revelation was then received as St. John's. 
He says, 1 A man from among us, by the name of John, one of 
the apostles of Christ, has prophesied, in the Revelation made to 
him, that the believers in Christ shall live a thousand years in 
Jerusalem ; and after that, shall be the general or eternal resur- 
rection and universal judgment.' Melito, bishop of Sardis, one 
of the seven churches addressed in the Revelation, flourished 
about A. D. 174. All his works are now lost ; but the historian 
Eusebius informs us, that among those extant in his time, there 
was one entitled, 1 Of the Revelation of St. John:' a fact which 
sufficiently discovers the estimation in which the book was then 
held. In the Epistle of the Churches of Lyons and Vienna, 
written about A. D. 177, it is plainly referred to as authentic 
Scripture : ' Both the magistrates,' say they, ' and the people 
were vexed at the very heart, that the Scripture might be fulfilled 
which saith, He .that is unjust, let him be unjust still ; and he 

1 Stuart on the Apocalypse, p. 302. 

2 See Home's Intro., Littell's edition, 1825, vol. iv., p. 475. 

2 



14 



INTRODUCTION. 



that is holy, let him be holy still :' a passage quoted from the 
twenty-second chapter of the Revelation. Theophilus, bishop of 
Antioch, (about A. D. 181,) is said by Eusebius to have adduced 
proofs from this book, in a work, now lost, which he wrote against 
certain heretics. Irenasus, bishop of Lyons, (about A. D. 185,) 
often mentions the Revelation, and attributes it implicitly to John 
the apostle of the Lord. Clemens Alexandrinus (about A. D. 
195) quotes it several times, and once in the following language : 
' They shall sit on twenty-four thrones, judging the people, as 
John says in the Revelation.' Tertullian (about A. D. 200) 
refers to it frequently as the work of the same John who wrote 
the epistle universally ascribed to the apostle. In one place he 
says, ' Again, the apostle John describes, in the Apocalypse, a 
sharp two-edged sword coming out of the mouth of God.' In 
another passage, while opposing Marcion, a Gnostic heretic, who 
disowned several books of the New Testament and altered the 
rest, he observes, ' We have churches which are the disciples of 
John. For though Marcion rejects the Revelation, yet the suc- 
cession of bishops, traced back to the beginning, w r ill assure us 
that John is the author.' 

" Thus far we find no indication that the genuineness of the 
book had ever been doubted in the regular churches ; though, 
among the capricious and whimsical heretics of the Gnostic class, 
it had sometimes shared the fate of the rest of the New Testa- 
ment. We now approach the period, however, when it appears 
to have been, for the first time, called in question by any of the 
orthodox Christians ; and it may be well to take particular notice 
of the occasion. A gross idea had long prevailed, on the author- 
ity of the twentieth chapter of the Revelation, that the Saints, 
after being raised from the dead, were to reign with Christ a 
thousand years upon earth, enjoying all the sensual gratifications 
which nature could afford. The fanatical sect of Montanists had 
lately carried this notion to the utmost extravagance, and dwelt 



AUTHORSHIP OF THE APOCALYPSE. 



15 



upon it as one of their favorite tenets. About A. D. 212, Caius, 
a. Roman presbyter, attacked them ; and for the purpose, it would 
seem, of depriving them of their principal evidence, attributed 
the Revelation to Cerinthus, a famous Gnostic, contemporary 
with St. John. ' Cerinthus,' said he, ' in some Revelations which 
he wrote in the name of a great apostle, imposes on us monstrous 
things, which he pretends were shown him by angels, saying that 
after the resurrection there shall be a terrestrial kingdom of 
Christ, and that men shall live again in Jerusalem, where they 
will enjoy sensual delights and pleasures, and spend a thousand 
years in nuptial entertainments.' Such was the ground that 
Caius took with regard to the author of the Apocalypse. 

" His unsupported assertion, however, carries its own refutation 
on its very face. Who can suppose that a book written by the 
hated Cerinthus, whose name was never uttered by the orthodox 
Christians but with abhorrence, would, nevertheless, be received 
by them, and venerated as we have already seen that the Revela- 
tion actually was in the early church ? If it be said that they 
never suspected its real origin ; whence, then, we would ask, 
did Caius obtain his knowledge, after more than a century of 
profound silence ? Indeed, his testimony seems to have weighed 
nothing with his contemporaries, nor with the immediately suc- 
ceeding fathers, since they continued to quote the book as indis- 
putably St. John's. Hippolytus (about A. D. 220) refers to it 
in the following significant connection, ' The Gospel and Apoca- 
lypse according to John.' The celebrated Origen, though a 
zealous opposer of the Millennarians, (A. D. 230 — 250,) received 
it without an intimation of doubt, and expressly ascribed it to 
' John the son of Zebedee,' that is, the apostle. Cyprian (about 
A. D. 255) reckoned it among the books of sacred Scripture, 
without, however, designating the author's name. With these 
notices before us, we cannot mistake the reputation it still con* 
tinued to maintain in the church, notwithstanding the impeach- 



16 



INTRODUCTION. 



ment, to all appearance utterly unfounded, which Caius had 
brought against it. 

" But soon after the death of Origen, it was again brought into 
question, by a new endeavor to advance the doctrine of the Mil- 
lennium on its authority. Nepos, a bishop in Egypt, published 
a very successful work in favor of that tenet, and adduced his 
proofs from the Apocalypse. The learned Dionysius of Alexan- 
dria (about A. D. 260) answered him, and took occasion to make 
some remarks concerning this book. Certain Christians, he ob- 
serves, rejected it as the work of the heretic Cerinthus, who ac- 
knowledged no happiness except in carnal pleasures ; 1 but for 
himself, he durst not renounce it, since it was generally held in 
veneration. Its meaning, however, appeared to him undiscover- 
able, though he was persuaded it ought not to be interpreted in 
the gross literal sense. Nor could he believe that it was written 
by John the apostle, on account of the dissimilarity of its genius, 
thoughts, and style, from those of the evangelist; but he was 
inclined to suppose its author to have been another John, a pres- 
byter, who, according to Papias, lived in Asia cotemporary with 
the evangelist, and whom he was willing to acknowledge an in- 
spired man. Such was the conjecture of Dionysius. For some 
time, however, it seems to have made little impression ; but the 
renown of his learning and talents, and his character as one of 
the principal bishops in Christendom, drew attention at length to 
his opinion, and gave it an influence which in the next century 
impaired the credit of the Apocalypse to a very sensible degree. 
Eusebius (about A. D. 330) hesitated whether to ascribe it" to 
John the apostle, or to John the presbyter. Cyril of Jerusalem 
(about A. D. 350) seems not to have received it ; and the Council 
of Laodicea (about A. D. 363) did not insert it in the catalogue 
of canonical books of Scripture. We need not trace its fortune 
further, but merely observe in general, that while it was rejected 



1 Here Dionysius evidently alludes to Caius' rejection of the Apocalypse. 



AUTHORSHIP OF THE APOCALYPSE. 



17 



by some and doubted by others, especially among the Greeks, it 
was still received by far the larger part of the church. And from 
the tenor of the foregoing narrative, it will be seen at once that 
the hesitation which in a few instances arose with regard to its 
authenticity originated in polemical motives, and ought not there- 
fore to impair in the least the historical' evidence afforded by its 
general reception among the Christians previously to the yeai 
200." 1 

From the above it will be perceived that the weight of the his- 
torical testimony preponderates greatly in favor of the apostolical 
origin of the Apocalypse. It seems quite impossible to account 
for the testimonies quoted from the above-named Christian fathers, 
without supposing that it is a divine book, and that it was written 
by the apostle John. 

In giving the result of the historical testimony, Prof. Stuart 
says, " If we include in this what the book says of the author, 
as has been done above, we find a series of testimony and tradi- 
tion, occasionally called in question, or opposed by few indeed, 
and but for a little time, until we come down to the latter part of 
the fourth century. Of the second century, Papias, Justin Mar- 
tyr, Melito of Sardisj Apollonius, Theophilus, Athenagoras, 
Clement of Alexandria, the Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs, 
Tertullian, Irenaeus, are leading witnesses. In the third, Metho- 
dius, Hippolytus, the Epistle of the Romish Clergy to Cyprian in 
250, Victorinus Petavionensis, Commodianus, Cyprian, Origen, 
Nepos, all testify in its favor. In the fourth century, Basil, 
Gregory Nazianzen, Gregory of Nyssa, Chrysostom, Epiphanius, 
Epherm Syrus, Athanasius, Didpnus of Alexandria, Macarius, the 
Donatists, the Third Council at Carthage, Prudentius, Hilary, 
Ambrose, Philastrius, Rufhn, Jerome, Lactantius, Julius Firmicus 
Maternus, and Augustine, (if we may reckon him here,) all unite 
in their views in favor of the Apocalypse. Some of the eastern 

1 Universalist Expositor, vol. iii., pp. 211 — 214. 

2* 



IS 



INTRODUCTION. 



bishops, as we have seen, did not include it among the books to 
be publicly read." 1 The same writer says again, " I would not 
indeed say, with Sir Isaac Newton, that I do not find any other 
book of the New Testament which is so strongly established, or 
which was written so early, (remarks on Revelation ;) but I may 
say, with Wetstein, that ' the Apocalypse from the primitive age 
was well known and received.' There are a number of books 
admitted into the New Testament canon, in respect to which less 
positive and less general evidence can be produced in behalf of 
them, than in favor of the Apocalypse. ^ # ^ # 
Indeed, if the claim of the Apocalypse to be of apostolical origin 
and canonical be not admitted so far as traditionary history is 
concerned, one must abandon the admission of any New Testa- 
ment book on this ground." 2 

III. We pass now to a brief examination of the internal evi- 
dence which may be quoted to show that the Apocalypse is of 
divine authority, and was written by the apostle John. 

There are certain considerations which are of a preliminary 
character, and to them we first invite the attention of the reader. 

PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS. 

X. We suppose there can be no doubt that the author of the 
Apocalypse was a Hebrew. The whole book bears a Hebrew 
stamp. The style is Hebrew ; its allusions, tropes, metaphors, 
are all Hebrew. It bears as strongly the evidence of being writ- 
ten by a Hebrew as any other book in all the Bible. There are 
books unquestionably written by Paul, which do not so infallibly 
bear the Hebrew stamp as this. We esteem it unquestionable, 
then, that its author was a Hebrew. 

2. It is equally unquestionable that he was a Christian. He 
everywhere confesses his allegiance to the Son of God. He en- 
titles the book " The Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave 

1 Stuart on the Apocalypse, vol. i., p. 368. 2 Idem, p. 370. 



AUTHORSHIP OF THE APOCALYPSE. 



19 



unto him ;" and he confesses that he " bare record of the word 
of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ." — Rev. i. 1, 2. To 
the Lord Jesus is assigned a prominent place in all the represent- 
ations of the book. It begins and ends by acknowledging the 
authority and grace of Christ. So much being certain, we remark 
that it is further evident, 

3. That he had been a diligent student of the Old Testament 
Scriptures. He was very familiar with them. The truth of this 
statement shines forth from every page, and is one of the most 
prominent features of the whole work. How frequently are we 
called on, in the course of our examination of it, to recognize its 
relation to the Old Testament. It seems to have grown up out 
of the ancient Scripture, like a luxuriant branch from its parent 
root. The allusions of the Revelation are drawn from the earliest 
sacred history of the Jews ; from the dress of the priests at the 
temple service ; from the forms of Jewish worship ; from the 
furniture and symbols of the temple ; from the divisions and 
characteristics of the twelve tribes ; from the paschal lamb ; from 
Mount Zion, &c, &c, &c. It is past all denial, that the writer 
of the Apocalypse was well versed in the Old Testament. How 
frequently he draws his metaphors from the prophets. It is a 
fact, which those forget who find fault with the Apocalypse on 
account of the exuberance of its metaphors, that the most of them 
are of prophetic origin. There are no two books in the Bible 
more nearly allied in their style than the book of Daniel and the 
Apocalypse. The former is the Apocalypse of the Old Testament. 
Compare the 20th chapter of Revelation with the 7th chapter of 
Daniel, and see how nearly the revelator in some parts imitates 
the prophet. Compare the 12th and 13th chapters with Daniel's 
account of the beast with seven horns, vii. 7, 8. No person can 
read the Apocalypse with any degree of attention, without being 
fully persuaded that its author had been deeply studious, not 



20 



INTRODUCTION. 



only of the prophecy of Daniel, but of the Old Testament Scrip- 
tures at large. 

4. He had not only been deeply studious of the Old Testament 
Scriptures, but he had also been learned in the school of Christ. 
Whoever he was, he had heard much, he knew much, and felt 
much of Christianity. He had sat at the feet of the Lord Jesus. 
How else could he have known, before the events transpired, the 
fall of Jerusalem ? (for we shall show in another place that the 
book was written before the destruction of that city.) He had 
heard the prophecy uttered by the Lord concerning that series 
of events. There are points of resemblance between certain parts 
of the Apocalypse and the prophecy referred to, as given by 
Matthew, Mark, and Luke, which cannot be mistaken. And if 
the Apocalypse was written previously to either of the gospels, 
(as we doubt not it was,) it becomes a nice question how the rev- 
elator learned his facts concerning the approaching destruction 
of Jerusalem except by divine communication ? It would seem 
probable that he was one of the disciples mentioned in Matthew 
xxiv. 3, to whom Jesus delivered his notable prophecy on this 
great subject. See Rev. i. 7, and vi. 12 — 17, as instances of 
imagery borrowed from our Lord's description of the destruction 
of Jerusalem. It is very singular, if the author of the Apocalypse 
were a pretender, a cheat, and deceiver of mankind, that he 
should have followed so closely him whom we call distinctively 
" the way, the truth, and the life." 

5. It is worthy of remark, that the Apocalypse claims to be a 
prophecy. It was such a prophecy, according to the author's 
confession, as he was empowered to make by " the Revelation of 
Jesus Christ." If it was a true prophecy, it must be a divine 
book, for no true prophecy can be otherwise ; and if it was writ- 
ten before the destruction of Jerusalem, (as is shown in another 
place,) it certainly was a true prophecy. That the author of the 
Apocalypse considered his book a prophecy, see i. 3, xxii. 7, 10, 



AUTHORSHIP OF THE APOCALYPSE. 



21 



18, 19. Indeed, it is the suggestion, we think, of Sir Isaac New- 
ton, that when St. Peter said, " We have also a more sure word 
of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a 
light that shineth in a dark place," he had respect to the Apoca- 
lypse. No objection can be taken to the prophetic character of 
the Apocalypse from its metaphorical or mystical style ; for 
many, we might perhaps say all, the sacred prophecies partake 
more or less of that style. Ancient prophecy declared that " the 
seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head that Jesus 
was king in Zion ; that Jerusalem should break forth on the right 
hand and on the left ; that Zion should arise and shine ; that a 
new heavens and new earth should be created ; that the God 
of heaven should set up a kingdom, and this kingdom should be 
given to the Son of man ; that fierce beasts should arise, and 
trouble the nations, and tear and stamp them in pieces, &c. ; and 
who can fail to see that this is the style of the Apocalypse ? 
Moreover, there is a vast concatenation of metaphors in the 
Apocalypse, not referred to above, which we find scattered through 
the prophecies of the Old Testament. There is nothing, there- 
fore, in the style of the Apocalypse, which forbids the belief that 
it is, what its author asserted it to be, — a prophecy. 

6. The next fact worthy of attention is, that it was evidently 
written for the benefit of the churches. Whatever view we take 
of it in other respects, we must acknowledge, that it constantly 
aimed at the highest spiritual welfare of the churches which were 
addressed. Nothing could have been more to the advantage of 
those churches than to have received heartily, and carried out 
faithfully, the exhortations of the revelator, whoever he was. 
Again and again he impressed the subject of their duty upon 
them ; he told them of their faults, in a kind and affectionate 
manner ; he warned them of their dangers ; he was evidently 
their friend, and what is more, the friend of God. He did not 
seek to please them, so much as to benefit them. An impostor 



22 



INTRODUCTION. 



seeks his own advantage ; the revelator sought the advantage of 
others. For himself he sought nothing but peace of conscience 
and joy in the Holy Ghost. He threw his whole soul, and all 
his powers of body and of mind, into the work of benefiting the 
churches. He must have been a good man. 

7. This is further confirmed by comparing his instructions with 
those given by the rest of the apostles. Is there any opposition 
in their nature or design ? Keep in mind the fact, that at the 
time the Apocalypse was written the churches were in the midst 
of a grievous persecution ; and then ask, if the advice given by 
its author does not accord with the advice given by Jesus, and all 
his apostles, and all the New Testament writers, to Christians in 
like circumstances? This might be shown at length, if necessary, 
by a comparison of particular parts of the Apocalypse with other 
portions of the New Testament ; but we have not room for such 
a process. We merely hint at a fact, which we are confident 
will strike the reader with force, and which he can verify at his 
pleasure. 

What presumption are we to make then from these facts ? The 
author of the Apocalypse, whoever the individual may have been, 
was certainly a Hebrew Christian, well versed in the Scriptures 
of the Old Testament, and especially their tropes and metaphors ; 
he claimed to have written a prophecy agreeing in many essential 
respects with the prophecy of our Lord in regard to the destruc- 
tion of Jerusalem; and it is certain that he aimed at the welfare 
of the churches he addressed, urging them to stability and faith- 
fulness in the midst of their trials, and assuring them of such 
rewards as agreed strictly with the nature of Christ's kingdom, 
and the instructions of acknowledged divine persons on these 
matters. What then is the presumption ? The work was one 
of very early date. It is supposed by Sir Isaac Newton, that it 
was known to Peter and to Paul, both of whom, he thought, from 
the similarity of their language, made quotations from it. It was 



AUTHORSHIP OF THE APOCALYPSE. 



23 



probably known to Polycarp, who was in part contemporary with 
the apostles, arid was constituted bishop of Smyrna by the apostle 
John. What then is the presumption ? In the absence of all 
evidence to the contrary, it is fair to conclude that the Apocalypse 
was ivritten by one of the apostles. 

INTERNAL PROOFS THAT IT WAS WRITTEN BY THE APOSTLE JOHN. 

These proofs are to be principally derived from a comparison 
of the Apocalypse with the undisputed writings of John, viz., his 
Gospel and Epistles. But there is one fact to be borne in mind, 
and which it may be well to state here, viz., that nearly a generation 
passed away after the writing of the Apocalypse, and previously 
to the writing of the Gospel and the Epistles. The Apocalypse 
was one of the earliest written of the New Testament books, 
while the Gospel and Epistles of John were written the latest of 
all. Forty years, or nearly so, probably transpired after the writ- 
ing of the Apocalypse, before the Gospel was written ; and it is 
altogether probable that John wrote the Epistles also in his extreme 
old age. We are not to expect, therefore, the vigor in the Gospel 
and Epistles which we find in the Apocalypse. In the one there 
may be evidence of transporting excitement, rising into the ro- 
mantic and the visionary ; in the other we may find that the ardor 
of the meridian of life has calmed down, in extreme old age, into 
the affectionate, contemplative, and artless. The Christian world 
has hitherto, for the most part, formed its opinion of John solely 
from his Gospel and his Epistles. Failing to make due allowance 
for the fact that he wrote these in exceeding old age, many have 
concluded that John never had any other element in his character 
than that of affectionateness and mildness. And supposing, also, 
that the Apocalypse was written as late as the reign of Domitian, 
or about A. D. 96, they have found it difficult to believe that it 
was written by the same hand that wrote the Gospel and Epistles. 
But if the Apocalypse were written forty years, or nearly so, 



24 



INTRODUCTION. 



before the Gospel, then we have a different basis on which to 
build our calculations. In the meridian of his life, there was, if 
we mistake not, vigor and fire in John. If such were not the 
case, we cannot imagine why Jesus, when he called his twelve 
apostles, and ordained them, distinguished James and John with 
the title Boanerges, or the Sons of Thunder ; Mark iii. 17. Where 
in the Gospel or Epistles shall we look for the thunder ? It is true 
that, in one instance, the tendency of John's mind to hyperbole 
seems to have broken out in the last sentence that we have any 
account he ever wrote ; we mean at the very conclusion of his 
Gospel, where he tells us that if all the things which Jesus did 
had been written, the world itself, he supposed, could not contain 
the books, — the last ember of the fire that burned so brilliantly 
in the Apocalypse. But in general the Gospel and Epistles are 
didactic, tender, persuasive. No one would conclude from them 
that their author was well described as a son of thunder. But 
our impression is, that in his early days, John had a character of 
great vigor. He was the son of a fisherman, and accustomed to 
the habits of a hard life ; Matt. iv. 21. He was moved power- 
fully by the appeal of Jesus, when he called him at first, and 
immediately left the ship and followed him. His companion, for 
the most part, in his early labors as an apostle, was Peter ; see 
Luke xxii. 8; Acts iii. 1, 11, and viii. 14; and they were 
both remarkable for their boldness, John as well as Peter, after 
they gained knowledge of the resurrection of their Master ; Acts 
iv. 13, 29, 31. Such are the facts which the New Testament 
furnishes of the life and character of John. Now, suppose we 
were called on to sustain these views of John's character from his 
writings only, should we find sufficient in the Gospel and Epistles 
for that purpose ? Would there not be something wanting ? But 
if we suppose that John was the author of the Apocalypse, and 
that he wrote that book in the meridian of his days, and forty 
years, or nearly so, before he wrote the Gospel, then are not the 



AUTHORSHIP OF THE APOCALYPSE. 



25 



means supplied by his writings for concluding that he was, in the 
prime and meridian of his life, what his Lord described him to 
be — a son of thunder ? Let the above considerations have the 
weight they justly deserve, and no more. We will now pass on 
to show, that there are sufficient points of resemblance between 
the Apocalypse and the undisputed writings of John to justify the 
conclusion that all were written by the same person. 

There are a class of evidences to this fact, which we shall 
intentionally exclude from this place ; not because they are not 
strong and conclusive in themselves, (for they are truly so,) but 
because, in the first place, we are not competent to present them ; 
and, secondly, because they would not be so readily understood 
by the larger part of our readers : we mean the points of resem- 
blance between the diction and phraseology of the Apocalypse 
and the Gospel and Epistles, in the language in which they were 
originally written. True, we have been told, what we have no 
doubt is correct, that there is quite a difference between the orig- 
inal Greek of the Apocalypse and that of John's other writings ; 
that the former is inelegant and full of barbarisms, while the 
latter is much more pure and classical. But notwithstanding 
this fact, (and we allow it to its full extent,) there are still points 
of resemblance in the phraseology, which seem to render it quite 
certain that the Apocalypse was written by the same hand that 
wrote the Gospel and Epistles. So far as the Greek is concerned, 
however, we must be content to lose the advantage which the 
comparison would give us. We take the common English ver- 
sion ; and under the disadvantages of a translation, in which 
many points of resemblance cannot be preserved which are seen 
in the original, we propose to show that there is sufficient evidence 
to justify the conclusion that John was the author of the Apoca- 
lypse. We shall divide the instances of resemblance which we 
shall quote under the two heads of Diction and Metaphors. 

1st. Diction. All Christendom knows that John uses the phrase 
3 



26 



INTRODUCTION. 



logos, or word, to signify a person, as follows : " In the beginning 
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was 
God ;" John i. 1. " And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt 
among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only be- 
gotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth ;" 14. This style 
of diction is peculiar to John. No other New Testament writer 
has it. See 1 John LI. " That which was from the beginning, 
which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which 
we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word 
of life." See also v. 7, where Jesus is again called " the Word." 
Now, if we turn to the Apocalypse, we find the same phraseology 
there ; for in speaking of Jesus, the revelator says: "He was 
clothed in a vesture dipped in blood ; and his name is called the 
Word of God ; " xix. 13. In no other part of the New Testa- 
ment is logos, or word, used personally. 

Another striking trait of resemblance is the fact, that the fa- 
vorite expression of the Gospel, viz., bearing witness, for declar- 
ing of the Gospel, and witness, record or testimony, for the truth 
declared, is very common in the style of John. See John i. 7 ; 
iii. 11, 32, 33 ; v. 31—36 ; viii. 13, 14; xviii. 37 ; xxi. 24. Nothing 
is more common than this phraseology in the Gospel. See also 
1 John v. 7 — 11. Turn now to the Apocalypse. Here the same 
phraseology prevails. The revelator " bears record of the word 
of God, and the testimony of Christ;" i. 2. He was banished to 
Patmos for the word of God and the testimony of Christ ; 9 ; the 
souls under the altar were slain for the word of God and the tes- 
timony which they held ; vi. 9 ; and the saints overcame the ac- 
cuser " by the word of their testimony ;" xii. 11, 17. See also xix. 
10 ; xx. 4 ; xxii. 18, 20. In closing the Gospel John says, " This 
is the disciple who testifieth of these things ;" xxi. 24 ; in closing 
the Apocalypse he said, " He who testifieth these things saith," 
&c. ; xxii. 20. Taking all these instances together, we can hardly 
refrain from the conviction that one hand must have framed the 



AUTHORSHIP OF THE APOCALYPSE. 



27 



Gospel, Epistles and Apocalypse. Out of John's works, there is 
scarcely any usage of this particular kind to be found. 

Again. It was very common for John to use the word hour 
for time, or season, as " Mine hour is not yet come ;" ii. 4 ; " The 
hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship 
the Father in spirit and truth;" 23 ; also, v. 25; vii. 30, &c. This 
is a prevailing idiom in the Apocalypse ; iii. 3, 10 ; xiv. 7. 

There is one fact in regard to the crucifixion that John only 
has recorded, viz., the piercing of the Saviour's side with a spear ; 
xix. 34 — 37. To this he applies the prediction in Zechariah xii. 
10, " They shall look on him whom they have pierced." The 
only other instance in all the New Testament in which this fact 
is mentioned* is Rev. i. 7. Does not this look very much like the 
same hand in both passages ? There seems to be not only a re- 
cognition of the fact of the piercing of Jesus' side in both cases, 
but that they that pierced him should look on him. It is difficult 
to resist the conviction that both passages were written by the 
same person. 

Another peculiarity of the Apocalypse is the use of the words 
overcome and overcometh, for successful perseverance in Christian 
duties in the midst of trials and dangers. For instance, " To 
him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, 
even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his 
throne ;" iii. 21. See ii. 11, 17, 26 ; iii. 5, 12 ; xxi. 7. This is 
John's manner of speech. . It appears strikingly in 1st Epis. ii. 
13, 14 ; iv. 4 ; v. 4, 5. Let these cases suffice. We pass in the 
next place to consider 

2nd. Metaphors. Jesus represented himself and his truth un- 
der the figure of light. John remembered this through his whole 
life. He incorporated it into the metaphors of the Apocalypse. 
Of the New Jerusalem he said, " The city had no need of 
the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it : for the glory of God 
did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof: and the nations 
of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it ;" xxi. 23, 24. 



28 



INTRODUCTION. 



See also xxii. 5 ; 1 John i. 7. According to John's gospel, how 
frequently Jesus represented himself and his truth under the fig- 
ure of light; i. 4—9; iii. 19—21; viii. 12; xii. 46. 

Sons of God. " He that overcometh shall inherit all things ; and 
I will be his God, and he shall be my son;" Rev. xxi. 7. " Behold 
what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we 
should be called the sons of God ;" 1 John iii. 1. The same in 
the Gospel. " But as many as received him, to them gave he 
power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on 
his name ;" John i. 12. 

The prevailing character in which Christ appears in the Apoc- 
alypse is that of a lamb; v. 6,8, 12, 13; vi. 1, 16 ; vii. 9, 10, 14, 17; 
xii. 11 ; xiii. 8, 11 ; xiv. 1, 4, 10, &c, &c. This figure John men- 
tions in his Gospel. See John i. 29, 36. " Behold the Lamb of 
God, which taketh away the sin of the world." Besides the above 
there are but two other instances in the New Testament in which 
Christ is represented by the lamb, viz., Acts viii. 32 ; 1 Pet. i. 19. 
And the latter is so strictly the language of the Apocalypse, that 
one would think Peter must have seen that work before he wrote 
his epistle. " The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world ;'* 
Rev. xiii. 8. " Redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, as of 
a lamb without blemish and without spot, who verily was preor- 
dained before the foundation of the world." We do not maintain 
it is certain that Peter quoted from the Apocalypse ; but if he did 
not, there seems such a unity of expression as we could scarcely 
expect except between men familiar with each other's forms of 
speech ; and it will be remembered that Peter and John were fel- 
low-laborers. 

The revelator represents the church as the bride, and Jesus as 
the bridegroom. See xxi. 2 : "And I John saw the holy city, New 
Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a 
bride adorned for her husband." Ver. 9 : " Come hither, I will 
show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife." See also xxii. 17. Now 
this metaphor occurs nowhere else in the New Testament except 



AUTHORSHIP OF THE APOCALYPSE. 



29 



in the gospel of John. The evangelist seems to have learned it ori- 
ginally from the Baptist. With his accustomed open-heartedness, 
the latter said, " Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am 
not the Christ, but that I am sent before him : he that hath the bride 
is the bridegroom : but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth 
and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly, because of the bridegroom's 
voice : this my joy therefore is fulfilled;" Johniii. 28. Here, un- 
questionably, Christ was the bridegroom ; and the Baptist was 
the bridegroom's friend, who rejoiced to hear his voice. John 
was the only one of the evangelists who recorded this. Does it 
not tend to fortify the proof that John was the author of the 
Apocalypse ? 

Another very striking metaphor of the Apocalypse is that of 
water, to represent the truth and its influences. What beauty is 
there in the following description of the felicity of the redeemed ! 
" For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed 
them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters : and 
God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes ;" Rev. vii. 17. 
Again : "I will give unto him that is athirst of the water of life 
freely;" xxi. 6. Again: "And the Spirit and the bride say, 
Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him 
that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water 
of life freely ;" xxii. 17. These are to be ranked surely among the 
most beautiful metaphors of the book ; and from whom did the 
author derive them ? If he were John, we know very well from 
what source he obtained them. Let the reader turn to the 4th 
chapter of the Gospel of John, and peruse the account of our 
Lord's conversation with the woman of Samaria. See how strik- 
ingly he represented his doctrine by " living water," of which if the 
thirsty drank, they should thirst no more. It should be to them 
the source of everlasting life ; iv. 10—14. See also vii. 37, 38. 
This event does not seem to have made the same deep impres- 
sion upon the minds of the other evangelists that it did upon the 
3* 



INTRODUCTION. 



mind of John. He is the only one who recorded it ; he is the 
only New Testament writer who has given the metaphor 
water a great significance as a representation of the truth in Jesus, 
And we regard this as another strong point of similarity between 
the style of the Apocalypse and that of the undisputed writings 
of John. 

Still another metaphor of the Apocalypse is manna. This was 
the food from heaven with which God miraculously fed the chil- 
dren of Israel on their forty years' journey through the wilderness. 
John is the only writer who uses it as a figure of divine truth. 
We find it in the Apocalypse : "To him that overcometh will I 
give to eat of the hidden manna," (Rev. ii. 17,) that is, unseen by 
the outward eye. In the Gospel we learn that Jesus mentions the 
manna, as an article of temporal food, in connection with the bread 
of life, or the spiritual food of the Gospel. With the exception of 
Heb. ix. 4, where the pot of manna that was kept in the temple 
is referred to, the manna is mentioned in no other part of the 
New Testament, except the Gospel of John, and the Apoca- 
lypse. 

There is no New Testament writer who has recorded, as John 
has, Christ's description of the gospel under the figure of food. 
The same figure is found in the Apocalypse : " To him that over- 
cometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst 
of the paradise of God ;" ii. 7. " To him that overcometh will I 
give to eat of the hidden manna;" 17. This was the metaphor of 
Jesus, which John alone has preserved. According to that apos- 
tle, Jesus claimed that his doctrine was the true bread from 
heaven;" vi. 32. He was " the bread of God, which came down 
from heaven ;" 33 ; the " living bread," of which, if a man eat, he 
should live forever ; 51. The " tree of life in the paradise of God," 
is bwt another metaphor for the heavenly bread. Do not these 
facts form a link in the chain of proofs that John was the au- 
thor of the Apocalypse ? 



AUTHORSHIP OF THE APOCALYPSE. 



SI 



There, is no New Testament writer who has given that promi- 
nence that John has to the metaphor of blood, to represent the 
cleansing power of divine truth. There is scarce any mention of 
blood, in this sense, by any other writer. It is the purifying pow- 
er of the truth to which John refers, when he says, " And there 
are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and 
the blood ; and these three agree in one ;" 1 John v. 8. Being 
"born of water and the spirit," John iii. 5, was being cleansed by 
divine truth. John further testifies, 1 Epis. i. 7, " The blood of 
Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." How often do 
we find this metaphor in the Apocalypse : " Unto him that loved 
us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood ;" i. 5. " And 
they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, 
and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast re- 
deemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, 
and people, and nation ;" v. 9. " These are they which came out 
of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them 
white in the blood of the Lamb ;" vii. 14. Is there not a striking 
similarity between the style of the Apocalypse and the style of 
the undisputed writings of John ? 

Matthew records the words of Jesus, " Blessed are they which 
do hunger and thirst after righteousness v. 6. With this ex- 
ception, John is the only evangelist who uses hunger and thirst 
as metaphors to represent the need which the human soul hath 
for the truth of Christ. The revelator says, of those who have 
entered the new Jerusalem, " They shall hunger no more, neither 
thirst any more ; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any 
heat;" vii. 16. To this agrees the metaphor in John's Gospel : 
" And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life ; he that com- 
eth to me shall never hunger ; and he that believeth on me shall 
never thirst ;" vi. 35. 

We have thus brought to a close our remarks on the points of 
resemblance between the Apocalypse and the undisputed writings 



32 



INTRODUCTION. 



of John. Many strong points may have been omitted. We have 
purposely avoided any comparisons in points of doctrine, because 
we believe that the New Testament writers all agree essentially 
with each other in those respects ; but if any one would take the 
labor to compare the manner in which the doctrine of judgment 
is stated in the Apocalypse with the manner in which it is stated 
in the Gospel of John, he would find a strong confirmation of the 
opinion we have expressed, viz., that the Apocalypse had an apos- 
tolic origin, and that it was written by John. Previously, how- 
ever, to closing up entirely this part of our subject, we shall take 
time to notice several objections which have been urged against 
the hypothesis, that John was the author of the Apocalypse. 

1. It is said, the author of the Gospel and of the Epistles has 
not named himself in a single instance, whereas the writer of the 
Apocalypse has named himself repeatedly. 

We cannot think this objection well founded. Is the case un- 
common for men to avow themselves the authors of certain books, 
and to publish others anonymously ? and must we suppose, on 
that account, that they could not have been the authors both of 
the avowed works and the anonymous ? It seems to us this 
would be strange reasoning. We should remember that John was 
a much younger man when he wrote the Apocalypse than he 
was when he wrote the Gospel and Epistles ; and there may have 
been reasons unknown to us why he affixed his name to the first, 
and omitted it from the two last. Besides, although he has not 
named himself in the Gospel, he has described himself in such a 
manner, that the church from the beginning was never puzzled to 
know the author. We think the objection we have named has 
but very little weight. 

2. It is also objected, that although the author of the Apoca- 
lypse calls himself John, he does not show that he is the apostle of 
that name. 

And why needed he to state that, since he was preeminently the 



AUTHORSHIP OF THE APOCALYPSE. 



33 



John of the church ? If it had been any other John, it would 
have been necessary for him to have described himself more par- 
ticularly, that he might not be mistaken by any person for him 
who was preeminently known by that name. When we speak 
of Washington, we do not need to add a circumlocution to show 
that we mean the first President of the United States ; but if we 
spoke of some person of that name of less distinction, it would be 
necessary that we should show in some way what individual we 
meant. The fact, therefore, that the John who was the author of 
the Apocalypse simply gave his name, should weigh nothing 
against the presumption that he was the apostle. 

3. It is said, the Apocalypse does not mention the Epistle, nor 
the Epistle the Apocalypse. 

Is there any force in this objection ? How could the writer 
of the Apocalypse name the catholic Epistle, since when the for- 
mer was written the latter had not been even contemplated that 
we know of ? And are we so sure that there was a necessity for 
John to name the Apocalypse in his subsequent writings as to 
conclude from the omission that he was not the author of it ? Was 
it the custom of Paul, for instance, when he wrote an epistle, to 
name the works he had previously written ? We all know that 
he did not do so. When he wrote a second time to the same 
church, it was very natural that he should name his first commu- 
nication ; but not when he wrote to different persons. As Dr. 
Lardner says, Paul in his epistle to the Romans was utterly si- 
lent in regard to all his epistles, although at the time he had 
written several. 

4. Again, it is objected, that there is a great resemblance in 
sentiment, manner and expression, between the Gospel and the first 
Epistle of St. John ; but the Apocalypse is altogether different, 
without any affinity or resemblance whatever. 

In the first place, we remark, that this objection is founded on 
a false basis. It is not true that the Apocalypse is altogether 
different from the Gospel and Epistle, and without any affinity or 



34 



INTRODUCTION. 



resemblance whatever. We have shown satisfactorily, we think, 
that, although there are strong points of difference between 
the Apocalypse and the undisputed writings of John, there are 
also strong points of resemblance. We can account for the points 
of difference consistently with the belief that John was the au- 
thor of the Apocalypse ; but on the ground that he was not the 
author, how can we account for the points of resemblance which 
we have described? In the first place, let it be remembered, that 
the Apocalypse was written (as we shall show) thirty or forty 
years before the Gospel and Epistles : and in that time John's mind 
may have lost somewhat of its vigor and soaring tendency. And 
it is worthy of remark, too, that the object of the Apocalypse 
required a different style from an epistle, or a history. The 
Gospel is a biographical history ; the Epistles are didactic ad- 
dresses ; but the Apocalypse is a prophecy. The Apocalypse is 
in the style of the ancient prophecies ; we should not of course 
expect it to be in the style of a history or epistle. We see, there- 
fore, that the objection we have stated is without force. 

But, 5, It is said, the Gospel and Epistles of John areivritten in 
elegant Greek ; but the writer of the Apocalypse proves that he 
had not an accurate knowledge of that language; on the contrary, 
the Apocalypse abounds with barbarisms and solecisms. 

Allowing to its full extent the allegation here made, viz., as to 
the different style of the Gospel and the Apocalypse, we are very 
far from thinking it proves that the same hand did not write both 
books. May not an author's style be very different at one time 
from what it is at another ? We know that the style of a writer 
is sometimes greatly changed, even in a few years, by his associ- 
ations or his studies. If it be borne in mind that the Apocalypse 
was written twenty or thirty years earlier than the Gospel, 
we shall see that there was time enough for John's style to be 
greatly changed between the writing of the two works. The 
Apocalypse was John's first production, and was written when 
he was not so much accustomed to the Greek language as he 



AUTHORSHIP OF THE APOCALYPSE. 



35 



became in after life. So that the objection above noticed has no 
force at all ; it utterly vanishes upon examination. 

The last objection which we shall notice is 

6. That the Apocalypse is so obscure as to be unintelligible, 
and is therefore not proper to be called a revelation from God. 

If the allegation here were true, the objection might have some 
force. But it is not true ; the book is not unintelligible. As to 
the interpretation, the difficulty has existed more in the minds of 
men than in the book itself. There is no book, let it be remem- 
bered, in the Bible, that has been so much perverted as this. 
Men have almost exhausted their powers of conception in contriv- 
ing meanings for it. The wild and enthusiastic have given a 
loose rein to their imaginations in respect to it. The book has 
been too much given up into their hands. It has been buried, we 
had almost said, beneath the load of strange and contradictory in- 
terpretations which have been given of it. But we maintain this 
is more the fault of men than of the book. Of late we have seen 
a class who have been so fully persuaded the Apocalypse cannot 
be understood, that they have not sought to understand it. 
Would it not be well to make an honest attempt first, before they 
pass so rash a decision against a portion of the word of God ? 
One great bar to the proper understanding of the book has been 
the mistake that has prevailed in regard to its date. If men set- 
tle down in the impression that the Apocalypse was not written 
until about the year A. D. 96, — a quarter of a century after the 
destruction of Jerusalem, — we see not how they can either ration- 
ally interpret it, or suppose it to have been written by John. 
That section of the book included in chapters vi. — xi. is so mani- 
festly a prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem, that if we sup- 
posed the work were written after that event, we should not have 
any facts to guide us in the interpretation. Place the date of the 
book previously, and many difficulties are at once solved. 

To understand the Apocalypse, a person must learn to apply 



35 



INTNODUCTION. 



metaphors by the help of the Old Testament. He must study 
diligently to learn how the prophets used them. This of all helps 
is the best. And if an honest inquirer after Bible truth will, in 
the first place, prepare himself in this manner, he will see many 
difficulties vanish, which at first appeared to him insurmountable; 
and although he may not understand every part, he will under- 
stand enough to repay him richly for all his pains. We do not 
suppose that we can now understand the book as well as those 
to whom it was originally addressed ; nor do we think it can do 
us as much good as perhaps it did them. But by the help of 
other parts of the Scriptures, both of the Old and New Testaments, 
it may become profitable to us, and is therefore worthy of our 
serious attention and regard. 



SECOND ESSAY. 
THE DATE OF THE APOCALYPSE. 

I. PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS. 

One of the most important questions concerning the Apocalypse 
is, at what time was it written ? It is generally supposed to have 
been written by St. John the apostle, although there are not 
wanting those who incline to a different opinion. If written by 
him, (which has been inquired into in another place,) it must 
have been done sometime between the crucifixion of our Lord 
and the death of the apostle. The principal matter of interest is, 
was it written previously to the destruction of Jerusalem ? If not 
written until after that event, it seems to form an exception to all 
the books of the New Testament which treat of the fall of that 
city. The warnings, the metaphors, which occur in the other 



DATE OF THE APOCALYPSE. 



33 



parts of the New Testament, and which are unquestionably ap- 
plied to the destruction of Jerusalem, occur also in the Apoca- 
^"pse ,* and we have no help from any part of the New Testament 
in the application of these warnings and metaphors, unless the 
Apocalypse was written previously to that event. The question, 
then, as to the date, is one of great interest, and cannot too closely 
engage the attention of any person who desires to understand the 
book. 

The learned editor of the " Universalist Expositor" published 
an article on the Apocalypse, in which, although it occupies less 
than a dozen pages of that work, he treats of the three highly 
important topics, the authenticity, the date, and the meaning. 
When he comes to the second topic, he says, 

" Admitting, then, that St. John was probably the author of the 
Apocalypse, when was it written ? Were we to judge solely 
from the allusions of the book itself, we should answer, at once, 
before the destruction of Jerusalem ; but if from the balance of 
mere historical testimony, such as it is, we should place its date after 
that event, and about the year 96. This testimony, however, is 
not of the most unquestionable character. Eusebius, in the fourth 
century, is the first to mention the time of St. John's banishment 
to Patmos, where he saw the Revelation; and he refers it, on what 
authority we know not, to the reign of Domitian, and adds that 
he was liberated on the accession of the emperor Nerva, which 
took place A. D. 96. There is indeed an ambiguous passage in 
an earlier and more competent witness, Irenseus, which has been 
generally understood to authenticate this statement, and to as- 
sert that the Revelation was seen at the end of Domitian's reign : 
but W etstein and Rosenmuller contend that the language relates 
to the time when St. John himself lived, and not to the period of 
his vision. These are all the historical notices concerning the 
date of the book which are of any importance, for the statements 
of Jerome are probably founded on those of Eusebius ; and as to 
4 



38 



INTRODUCTION. 



the contrary representations sometimes quoted from Epiphanius, 
who refers it back to about the year 50, nobody acquainted with 
the romancing habit of this writer ought to attach the least weight 
to them." So far the editor of the Expositor. He evidently in- 
clined to the opinion that the Apocalypse was written before the 
destruction of Jerusalem ; but he allowed that the balance of his- 
torical testimony would place it about A. D. 96. 

As to the relative weight which is to be given to the balance 
of historical testimony, on the one side, or the indications as to 
the date of the Apocalypse, which we find in the book itself, on 
the other, we decide in favor of the latter. The one is the unde- 
signed testimony afforded by the writer himself; the other is that 
of other men, living at a distance of time from him, liable to be 
misinformed, to misunderstand language, and to mislead many 
others. Thus, the testimony of one man, having no very strong 
ground himself, perhaps, for the correctness of his opinion, goes 
by tradition, or record, to others, who help to swell the number of 
authors in defence of some position ; and yet, after all, we have 
the testimony of only one man ; and that we have, not from his 
own lips, or pen, Taut from the repetitions of others. We feel, 
therefore, a much stronger confidence in the internal evidences 
which the Apocalypse furnishes of its- date, than we do in the his- 
torical testimony. It is for this reason, we think, that the num- 
ber of those who believe that the Apocalypse was written before 
the destruction of Jerusalem is steadily increasing, among men 
of sound learning. Professor Stuart has added the weight of his 
great learning and influence to the support of that opinion. 
Some few years ago, in his work entitled " Hints on Prophecy," 
he showed very clearly that the internal evidences proved the 
book to have been written previously to the fall of Jerusalem ; 
and in his more recent and larger work on the Apocalypse, 
he has expressed the opinion more fully and decidedly. It is 
highly probable that as the true intent of that book is more and 



INTRODUCTION. 



more developed, the opinion will become more generally em- 
braced. 1 

II. HISTORICAL EVIDENCE. 

In respect to the historical testimony, the first thing which 
strikes the mind of the inquirer is, that it is contradictory. Ire- 
naeus, who is the most ancient authority we have upon the sub- 
ject, seemed to think that the Apocalypse made its appearance 
about the end of Domitian's reign, say A. D. 95. Epiphanius 
said repeatedly that John wrote the Revelation during the time 
of Claudius, the predecessor of Nero ; and if this be true, it must 
have been written before A. T>. 54. Tertullian, and after him 
Jerome, are supposed to have taught, that John was banished to 
Patmos during the reign of Nero ; and in the Syriac version of 
the Apocalypse, the title-page explicitly declares, that it was writ- 
ten in Patmos, whither John was sent by Nero Ccesar. If the 
Apocalypse was written during the reign of Nero, it was but a 
few years before the Jewish war; and it would render very 
natural the language of that book in respect to the immediateness 
of the threatened judgments. 

r See "Hints on Prophecy," 2d Edit., Andover, 1842, pp. 108—151, espe- 
cially pp. 111—113; and also his large work on the Apocalypse, vol. i., 263 

282. Among other writers who have supposed the book to have been written 
before the destruction of Jerusalem, may be mentioned Sir Isaac Newton, in 
his " Observations upon the Prophecies of Daniel, and the Apocalypse of St. 
John;" London, 1733; Dr. Hammond, in his Commentary ; the learned 
Lightfoot's works, (edited by J. R. Pitman, London, 1825,) vol. iii., pp. 331— 
371, and various other places ; Bp. Thomas Newton, in his Dissertations on 
the Prophecies, London, 1832, pp. 444—447 ; and to these we are told we 
may add the authorities of Grotius, Wetstein, Eichorn, and many other 
learned men. The opinion is now becoming more and more general, that 
the Apocalypse was written previously to the destruction of Jerusalem. 
Dr. Adam Clarke, in closing his notes on the Apocalypse, says, " I think 
the book was written before the destruction of Jerusalem, and not in 95 or 
96, the date I follow in the margin ; which date I give, not as my own opin- 
ion, but the opinion of others."— [See the paragraph at the end of his Com- 
mentary on the New Testament.] 



40 



INTRODUCTION. 



Irenseus, it will be remembered, did not live until about a cen 
tury after St. John. The language of that father does not seem 
to be intended to define the time when the Apocalypse was writ- 
ten, so much as the time of its first appearance so far as he knew. 
The words are these : " The Apocalypse was seen, not long ago, 
but almost in our generation, near the end of Domitian's reign." 
Supposing Irenseus here to have intended that the Apocalypse, so 
far as he knew, did not appear until near the end of Domitian's 
reign, would this prove that it was not written until that time ? 
or that none others had seen it until then ? We think not. The 
passage quoted from Irenseus is evidently ambiguous ; some au- 
thors take one view of it, and some another. Whether he meant 
that John had his vision near the end of Domitian's reign, or that 
the Apocalypse first came to light at that time, so far as he knew, 
we cannot tell. If the latter, it is entirely consistent with the 
fact asserted on the title-page of the Syriac version, viz., that 
John was banished to Patmos in the time of Nero. Eusebius, 
who lived about one hundred years after Irenseus, has left the 
same testimony ; but he evidently quoted from him. As to the 
assertion of Epiphanius, that John wrote the Revelation during 
the reign of Claudius, all the critics speak lightly of his authority, 
except Hammond, who thinks there are strong reasons for be- 
lieving him. Epiphanius contended with the Montanists, who 
maintained, against the credibility of the book of Revelation, that 
there was no church at Thyatira at the time the Apocalypse was 
said to have been written. Epiphanius, therefore, was under a 
temptation, if we may so speak, to put the date later rather than 
earlier than others. In placing it in the reign of Claudius, there- 
fore, he must have stated what he believed to be true, because his 
success with the Montanists would have been subserved if he had 
placed it later. 

To sum up the historical testimony, "It is plain that an 
ancient tradition existed, and was propagated through succeeding 



Introduction. 



41 



ages, that the Apocalypse was seen near the close of Domitian's 
reign, i. e., about A. D. 95, for Domitian died in September of 
96." When such a report originated is not known, though 
Irenseus seems to have been the first who recorded it. The tes- 
timony of Epiphanius places the date of the Apocalypse in the 
reign of Claudius ; but he is not thought to be good authority, 
except by Hammond, who states several reasons why he is to be 
relied on. Again, there are fragments of history which fix the 
date in the time of Nero ; and these are strengthened by the dec- 
laration on the title-page of the Syriac version, that the Apoca- 
lypse was written during the reign of Nero Caesar. The result 
is that no great dependence can be placed upon the historical tes- 
timony. There are sound modern critics both on the one side 
and the other. Among those who suppose the book was written 
previously to the destruction of Jerusalem, may be mentioned 
Grotius, Lightfoot, Hammond, Sir Isaac Newton, Bp. Newton, 
Wetstein, and Prof. Stuart of Andover, — an array of talent that 
is sufficient to give to any opinion great weight. But the safer 
way, after all, whereby to determine the question before us, is 
by the help of the internal evidence. 

HI. INTERNAL EVIDENCE. 

The single question which we shall seek to settle now is, Was 
the Apocalypse written before the destruction of Jerusalem ? 

1. Let it be observed that it was addressed to the seven churches 
in Asia. We are not sure that these churches only were ad- 
dressed. They may have been used symbolically for the churches 
at large, seven being separated as a sample of the whole, for the 
same reason that John speaks of the seven spirits, the seven 
lamps of fire, seven seals, seven angels, seven trumpets, seven 
thunders, &c. &c. But however this may be, it seems evident 
that the churches addressed were regarded as being on the eve 
of great dangers, as though a crisis in their affairs was very near. 
4# 



42 



INTRODUCTION. 



Some of them are represented as having begun to grow cold, to 
waver, to faint ; and they are exhorted to steadfastness and re- 
newed exertions, that they might overcome all opposition, and 
have their names inscribed in the temple of God, the New Jeru- 
salem. See chaps, ii. and iii. at large. Now, is not this almost 
precisely the form of address, exhortation, and warning, adopted by 
the apostles to other churches, in regard to the coming of Christ 
and the attending judgments ? Is there any hint, in the address 
to the seven churches, that the judgment had taken place? Does 
not the revelator look forward to the judgment? Had the de- 
struction of Jerusalem already taken place when he addressed the 
churches, — that terrible event, which was a time of trouble such 
as there had not been from the beginning of the world to that 
time, no, nor ever shall be, — can we suppose he would have 
passed it by without drawing some warning from it, or passed it 
by without any reference whatsoever ? But the special point to 
be observed, under this head of our subject, is, that the style of ad- 
dress to the churches of Asia does not differ greatly from that of 
the epistles of Paul and Peter. The revelator urges the church 
at Ephesus to labor to overcome their enemies, — to sustain 
themselves well in the midst of persecutions ; and Paul surely 
urges the same thing in substance on the same church. He ex- 
horted them to be " strong in the Lord and the power of his might ;" 
to "put on the whole armor of God," &c. &c. ; because they were 
obliged to wrestle, not against flesh and blood, but principalities 
and powers, &c. Here is such a state of this church recognized 
by both writers as would lead us to think the two addresses were 
written not far from the same time. It is alleged by some writers 
that no such falling away had taken place in the seven churches 
of Asia, before the destruction of Jerusalem, as is described by 
the revelator. But does not St. Paul assure the Thessalonians, 
that the coming of Christ should not take place, except there 
came a falling away first ? and that the man of sin, the son of 



DATE OF THE APOCALYPSE. 



43 



perdition, should be fully revealed before that event? This 
would lead us to think that the apostasy in the churches did take 
place before Jerusalem was destroyed. Paul says also to Timo- 
thy, that in the last days [viz., the last days of the Jewish dis- 
pensation] perilous times should come, men should be filled with 
self-love, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to 
parents, &c. Here he was describing the apostasy of Christians, 
because he adds that such had " a form of godliness, but denied 
the power thereof," and exhorts the faithful to turn away from 
them. Why, then, should it be denied, that the churches of Asia 
had not been visited with signs of coldness before the destruction 
of Jerusalem ? Were they not as likely to be carried away as 
the churches addressed by Paul and Peter ? That the churches 
had begun to falter under the weight of persecutions before the 
destruction of Jerusalem, is further evident from the words of 
the Epistle to the Hebrews : " Let us hold fast the profession 
of our faith without wavering, (for he is faithful that promised,) 
and let us consider one another, to provoke unto love, and 
good works : not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together, 
as the manner of some is ; but exhorting one another ; and so 
much the more, as ye see the day approaching. For if we sin 
wilfully, after that we have received the knowledge of the 
truth," &c, &c. ; Heb. x. 23—26; also, 38, 39. Precisely the 
same state of the churches is described in the 2d Epistle of Peter 
with that described in the Apocalypse. It is such, it would 
almost seem, that these two books were written about the 
same time ; and the same remark may be made in regard to 
the brief epistle of Jude. St. Peter speaks at large of the fall- 
ing away which was to precede the destruction of Jerusalem; 
2d Pet. ii., iii. Peter accuses the churches of pride, presump- 
tion, adultery, and following the way of Balaam ; and these are 
precisely the sins charged upon them by the revelator. The 
church at Laodicea is charged with being proud and presumptu- 



44 



INTRODUCTION. 



ous. She said, " I am rich and increased in goods, and have 
need of nothing;" but, says the revelator, " Thou art wretched, 
and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked ;" iii. 17. As to 
the sin of adultery, the revelator accused the church at Thyatira 
of consorting with Jezebel, who taught God's servants to offend ; 
and the malediction was, " I will cast her into a bed, and them 
that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they 
repent of their deeds ii. 22. As to following the way of Ba- 
laam, mentioned by Peter, the comparison with the revelator's 
reference to that circumstance is peculiarly striking: " I have a 
few things against thee, because thou hast them there that hoid 
the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling- 
block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, 
and to commit fornication ;" ii. 14. We may therefore safely 
conclude, that if the 2d Epistle of Peter was written before ths 
destruction of Jerusalem, the churches were in the precise state 
at that time in which the revelator describes them. And there 
is still another point of resemblance ; the revelator exhorts the 
churches to stand firm against persecutions, and not to be overcome 
by the temptations and trials in which they were involved. " He 
that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death;" ii. 11. 
See also 17, 26—28 ; iii. 5, 12, 21 ; in all which places the ad- 
vantages of overcoming in the spiritual conflict in which the 
churches were engaged are set forth. To the same subject re- 
fers St. Peter. Speaking of the faltering and falling of the 
Christians, he said : " Of whom a man is overcome, of the same 
is he brought into bondage. For if, after they have escaped 
the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord 
and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein 
and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the begin- 
ning. For it had been better for them not to have known the 
way of righteousness, than after they have known it, to turn from 
the holy commandment delivered unto them;" 2 Pet. ii. 19 — 21. 



DATE OF THE APOCALYPSE. 



2. Let us turn now to. another point. All the signs which our 
Lord said would precede the destruction of Jerusalem are men- 
tioned in the Apocalypse ; but, as we should expect, they are 
mentioned in the style of that book. These were wars, famines, 
pestilences, earthquakes, fearful sights, persecutions of Christians, 
and preaching the gospel everywhere ; to which may be added 
the coming in of false teachers and the apostasy of some luke- 
warm professors, two points which have been already noticed. 
Let us look at the other points as noticed in the Apocalypse. 

War. " And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the 
second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another 
horse, that was red ; and power was given to him that sat thereon 
to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one 
another; and there was given unto him a great sword." 

Famine. " And when he had opened the third seal, I heard 
the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo, a black 
horse : and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his 
hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, 
A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for 
a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine." This is ev- 
idently a description of famine, when it became necessary to weigh 
out the common articles of food with great exactness, and the wa- 
ges of a man would scarcely buy bread enough for himself alone. 

Pestilence. " And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard 
the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, 
and behold, a pale horse, (the sign of weakness and fainting,) and 
his name that sat on him was Death, and hell (or destruction) 
followed with him," and he had more than all the power of the 
rest. Thus, in a few verses taken consecutively, we find a de- 
scription, in the style of the Apocalypse, of wars, pestilence, and 
famine, — all of which had been foretold by our Lord as preceding 
the destruction of Jerusalem. 

As to earthquakes, how frequently do we read of them in the 



46 



INTRODUCTION. 



Apocalypse, especially in that part of it which treats of the de- 
struction of Jerusalem. Whether our Lord, in foretelling the 
signs that preceded the destruction of Jerusalem, mentioned 
earthquakes in the literal or metaphorical sense, we will not tarry 
here to inquire, because those convulsions are probably spoken 
of in both senses by the revelator. How sublime is the metaphor 
that opens under the sixth seal. " And I beheld when he had 
opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake ; * 
* * * # * and the chief captains, and the 
mighty men, and every bondman, and every freeman, hid them- 
selves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains," &c. ; vi. 
12, 15. In chapter viii. 5, the tumults are described by voices, 
and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake : and again, 
in xi. 13, where the revelator winds up that portion of the Apoca- 
lypse which seems to treat of the destruction of Jerusalem, he 
says, " And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and 
the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain 
of men seven thousand." In the next place our Lord mentioned 

Fearful sights and signs in heaven. Is not this the language 
of the Apocalypse also ? The sun becomes black as sackcloth 
of hair ; the moon turns to blood ; the stars fall from heaven 
like the figs from a tree shaken by a mighty wind, and the heav- 
ens depart as a scroll when it is rolled together. If it be alleged 
that this language was metaphorical, whereas the Saviour in- 
tended fearful sights in a literal view, we reply that it is no more 
certain that the language of the Saviour is to be construed strictly 
to the letter than the language of the revelator. 

The persecution of the Christians is represented by our Lord 
as one of the signs that denoted the approaching destruction of 
Jerusalem. This was a thing so continually occurring, from the 
beginning of our Lord's ministry until all the apostles were dead, 
and even for centuries afterward, that it gives no definite indica- 
tion. But this much may be relied upon, that immediately pre- 



DATE OF THE APOCALYPSE. 



47 



ceding the fall of the Jews, it was a season of very violent perse- 
cution of the church, not only in Judea, but throughout all parts 
of the Roman empire. And nothing is more plain than that 
the Apocalypse was written in the time of a great persecution. 
The churches are exhorted to have patience, to hold fast their 
faith, to prepare for trials ; they are told that they shall be cast 
into prison, but are encouraged to be " faithful unto death." The 
martyrs under the altar, who were slain for the word of God, 
and the testimony they held, cry unto God for vengeance, saying, 
" How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and 
avenge our blood, on them that dwell on the earth ?" Does not 
this show that the deaths of these Jewish-Christian martyrs, 
whose souls were represented as lying in the temple, under the 
altar, were not yet avenged ? But they were to be avenged by 
the destruction of the Jews. Our Lord said that upon that gen- 
eration should be visited all the righteous blood shed upon the 
earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacha- 
rias, son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and 
the altar. Verily, I say unto you, Ml these things shall come upon 
this generation. And that the destruction of the city is referred 
to among the judgments seems evident from the Redeemer's 
lamentation, which immediately followed : " Jerusalem, Jeru- 
salem, thou that killest the prophets and stonest them that are 
sent unto thee," &c, &c; Matt, xxiii. 34 — 37. If, then, the 
blood of the Jewish-Christian martyrs was unavenged when the 
Apocalypse was written, must it not have been written before the 
lamented city fell ? 

We might mention other signs which were pointed out by 
our Lord as presaging the destruction of Jerusalem, but we have 
no more room to devote to this topic, and we have already con- 
sidered the principal. Now, if all the signs named by our Lord 
as marking the approach of the destruction of Jerusalem are 
referred to in the Apocalypse, and restated and reaffirmed in the 



48 



INTRODUCTION. 



peculiar style of that book, as marking an event still future, but 
close at hand, are we not led with a high degree of probability to 
the conclusion, that the Apocalypse was written before the fall of 
Jerusalem ? And let it be added, that all these signs are found 
in that part of the Apocalypse which is supposed to refer to the 
destruction of Jerusalem, by those who believe the book to have 
been written previously to that event. 

3. But there is another very strong argument in favor of our 
position, built on the agreement of the language of the Apocalypse 
on the one side, and that of all the other books of the New Tes- 
tament on the other, in respect to the time and circumstances of 
our Lord's coming. In the Apocalypse we are told, even in the 
very first verse of it, that the things foretold were " shortly to 
come to pass." Again, verse 3, " Blessed is he that readeth, and 
they that hear, the words of this prophecy, and keep those things 
which are written therein : for the time is at hand." See also ii. 
16 ; iii. 11, and xi. 14. But at the close of the book, as well as 
at the beginning, the Christians were warned again, that the old 
dispensation would very speedily pass away ; that the New Jeru- 
salem was about to come down from God out of heaven, and that 
the coming of the Son of man was about to take place. " Behold 
I come quickly ; blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the 
prophecy of this book;" xxii. 7. " Seal not the sayings of the 
prophecy of this book : for the time is at hand ;" verse 10. "And 
behold, I come quickly ; and my reward is with me, to give every 
man according as his work shall be ;" verse 12. Again, verse 20, 
" He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. 
Amen." A person well versed in the language of the New Testa- 
ment respecting the coming of Christ cannot fail to be impressed 
with its agreement with that of the Apocalypse. There are 
two facts to be observed here : 1st. The immediateness of the 
coming of Christ ; and, 2d, the rewarding of men according to 
their works in connection with it. "I come quickly ; and my re- 



DATE OF THE APOCALYPSE. 



40 



ward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall 
be." When our Lord foretold his coming to destroy the Jews, 
he said, " For the Son of man shall come in the glory of the 
Father, with his angels ; and then he shall reward every man ac- 
cording to his ivorhs. Verily I say. unto you, There be some 
standing here which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son 
of man coming in his kingdom ;" Matt. xvi. 27, 28. It seems 
difficult to entertain a doubt that the Lord refers to the same 
coming in the Apocalypse, (for the words are represented as 
coming from the mouth of Jesus,) which Matthew here describes. 
The event was nearer when the Apocalypse was written than 
when our Lord was on earth. The language in the Apocalypse, 
therefore, differs so much from that given by Matthew as the 
event was nearer when the revelator wrote. In addition to the 
quotations from Matthew, see Mark viii. 38, and ix. 1 ; Luke ix. 
26,27; and John xxi. 21,22. 

If we examine the epistles, we shall find a language somewhat 
different from that of our Lord, because the event of his coming 
was much nearer than when he spoke. Jesus said it shall come 
in this generation ; James said, " The coming of the Lord draw- 
eth nigh ;" v. 8. The writer to the Hebrews said to his brethren, 
" Ye see the day approaching." Peter, who wrote his 2d Epistle 
still later, bears testimony that his brethren were " looking for 
and hasting unto the day of God, wherein the heavens being on 
fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent 
heat;" iii. 12. This was the passing away of the old heaven 
and earth, to give place to the new heaven and new earth, which 
John saw, as it were, coming down from God out of heaven. 
Some became tired in waiting for the coming of Christ, and the 
scoffers said, " Where is the promise of his coming ?" The apos- 
tles found it necessary, therefore, to exhort Christians to patience. 
" Be patient, therefore, brethren; unto the coming of the Lord. 
Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the 
5 



50 



INTRODUCTION. 



earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and 
latter rain. Be ye also patient ; establish your hearts ; for the 
coming of the Lord draweth nigh ;" James v. 7, 8. The time 
of the coming of the Lord is also represented as the end of the 
world, or age ; 1 Gor. x. 11. " The end of all things ;" 1 Pet. iv. 
7. To this the revelator agrees ; for if we follow him carefully, 
we shall find, that after he has described, in his peculiar manner, 
what we take to be the wonders and signs that preceded the de- 
struction of Jerusalem, and as he approaches the great catastrophe 
of the Jews, he introduces a mighty angel, bearing the marks of 
the Son of man, who put one foot on the sea, and the other on 
the land, and lifting up his hand to heaven, swore by Him that 
liveth forever and ever, " that there should be time no longer ;" 
x. 6. Does not this exactly agree with the general language of 
the New Testament concerning the destruction of Jerusalem ? 
Do we read of any other event in the New Testament to which 
this can so well apply ? To what shall we apply it, if not to that 
event ? 

Having thus looked at the time of Christ's coming at the de- 
struction of the Jews, let us look, in the next place, at the circum- 
stances attending it. With what pomp, with what circumstance, 
did the revelator describe the coming of Christ ? We will listen : 
" Behold, he cometh with clouds ; and every eye shall see him,- 
and they also which pierced him, and all kindreds of the earth shall 
wail because of him ;" i. 7. This is precisely as our Lord him- 
self described his coming to overthrow the Jews. " And then 
shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven ; and then 
shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son 
of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great 
glory." Can we resist the conviction that the revelator spoke of 
the same event with our Lord ? If the revelator's description does 
not refer to the coming of Christ at the destruction of Jerusalem, 
to what event does it refer ? Observe, there are three points of 



DATE OF THE APOCALYPSE. 



51 



resemblance : 1st. Christ cometh in the clouds of heaven. 2d. 
Every eye shall see him. 3d. All the kindreds of the earth shall 
mourn because of him. All three of these facts are stated in 
both passages. It is demonstrated that our Lord referred in his 
description to his coming at the destruction of Jerusalem ; for he 
adds, immediately, " Verily I say unto you, This generation shall 
not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." These words the rev- 
elator would not naturally have used, because the event was so 
near ; but he supplies in the place of them the admonition, " The 
time is at hand." We ask again, on the strength of this argu- 
ment, was not the Apocalypse written before the destruction of 
Jerusalem ? 

But there are other facts to be considered. Nothing is more 
plain than that Jesus foretold, that when his coming should take- 
place, the kingdom of God should be fully established. " Verily 1 
say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which 
shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God 
come with power ;" Mark ix. 1. Luke's language is similar: " I 
tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not 
taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God ;" ix. 27. All 
the New Testament writers looked forward to the establishment of 
the kingdom of God as near. They spoke of it in almost every 
form of phraseology. Now, if the revelator spake of that great 
event as being near at hand, it would seem to show conclusively 
that he wrote before the destruction of Jerusalem. In the eleventh 
chapter, in which the revelator brings up his description of the 
troubles of the Jews to their climax, he says, " The second woe is 
past ; and behold, the third woe cometh quickly. And the seventh 
angel sounded, [the last of the series, for there was no eighth or 
ninth angel,] and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The 
kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord 
and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever." And to 
this he adds, " And the four and twenty elders, which sat before 



52 



INTRODUCTION. 



God, fell upon their faces and worshipped God, saying", We give 
thee thanks, Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art 
to come ; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and 
hast reigned ;" xi. 14 — 17. Is it not reasonable to suppose, that 
the revelator spoke of the same event to which our Lord referred ? 
The kingdom of God came with power, when the kingdoms of 
this world became the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. 
Are we not justified, then, in the conclusion that the Apocalypse 
was written previously to the destruction of Jerusalem ? 

Turn we to another fact. Jesus promised his disciples that 
" In the regeneration, when the Son of man should sit on the 
throne of his glory, they also should sit upon twelve thrones, 
judging the twelve tribes of Israel Matt. xix. 28. This meta- 
phor of reigning with Christ is of frequent occurrence in the 
New Testament. " It is a faithful saying, For if we be dead with 
him, we shall also live with him ; if we suffer, we shall also reign 
with him : if we deny him, he also will deny us ;" 2 Tim. ii. 
11, 12. Now, as to the point of Christians reigning with their 
Master, the revelator treats of it frequently. They reigned when 
he reigned ; they came to power when he came to power. Jesus 
told them, when they saw the signs of his coming, to lift up their 
heads, for their redemption then would be nigh. What does the 
revelator say about this matter of reigning with Christ ? "To 
him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, 
even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his 
throne iii. 21. Hence the early Christians were said to be 
made " kings and priests unto God ;" Rev. i. 6 ; and when they 
sung the new song, they said, " Thou wast slain, and hast re- 
deemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, 
and people, and nation ; and hast made us unto our God kings 
and priests, and we shall reign on the earth ;" v. 9, 10. The 
Gospel reign began in its full power at the destruction of Jerusa- 
lem; and the reference which we find in the Apocalypse to 



DATE OF THE APOCALYPSE. 



53 



Christians being exalted to reign with Christ, as a future event, 
proves that the destruction of Jerusalem was future when the 
book was written. 

But we pass from this topic. There is another subject, bearing 
a close relation, which it will be proper to introduce here. Our 
Lord repeatedly stated, that, at the time of his coming, he should 
judge the nations of the earth. The time of his coming was 
preeminently a time of judgment. He foretold, that when the 
Son of man should come in his glory, he should sit upon the 
throne of his glory, and before him should be assembled all na- 
tions, and he should render to every man according to his works ; 
Matt. xxv. 31, and xvi. 27, 28. Because the event was very 
near when St. James wrote, he said, " Behold the Judge standeth 
before the door ;" v. 9. St. Paul said, that Jesus should " judge 
the quick and the dead at his appearing and kingdom ;" 2 Tim. 
iv. 1 ; and St. Peter said, that men must give account to him 
" that is ready to judge the quick and the dead ;" 1 Pet. iv. 5. 
There will be no dispute, then, that the judgment of the nations 
was to take place at the time of the coming of the Son of man 
at the destruction of Jerusalem. Now, it is very plainly to be 
seen, that the revelator spoke of the same judgment as transpiring 
in the course of the events that he described. At the sounding 
of the seventh angel, (as we have shown,) it was announced, 
" The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our 
Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever ;" and 
to this it is added, " And the nations were angry, and thy wrath 
is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, 
and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the proph- 
ets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and 
great, and shouldest destroy them that destroy the earth." And 
then, as though the old temple were destroyed simultaneously 
with this judgment, the revelator adds, in the next words, " And 
the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in 
5# 



M 



INTRODUCTION. 



his temple the ark of his testament i. e., the spiritual temple of 
the Gospel was to be opened in place of the temple on Mount 
Zion, which was about to pass away ; Rev. xi. 18. Now, as the 
revelator foretold this great judgment as about to take place in 
connection with the establishment of the kingdom of God, is not 
this an additional proof that the Apocalypse was written previously 
to the destruction of Jerusalem ? 

4. We approach now another class of evidences, which may 
perhaps be regarded as a little more direct ; and yet they do not 
possess to our mind any greater force than those which we have 
already submitted. 

The Jews are spoken of in the Apocalypse in such a manner 
as would lead us to conclude that the book was written before the 
destruction of their city. " Behold, he cometh with clouds ; and 
every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him ;" i. 7. 
Here is a manifest reference to the Jews among whom, and at whose 
instigation, the Lord Jesus was crucified. They were involved, 
according to this passage, in the judgment described by the rev- 
elatory and which was then shortly to transpire. Could the rev- 
elator have said this, had not the Apocalypse been written before 
the destruction of Jerusalem ? But again : In the seventh chap- 
ter of the Apocalypse, the twelve tribes are spoken of as still 
being in existence ; and for the purpose of representing the Jews 
who had been converted to Christianity, and received the acknowl- 
edgment of God that they were his, the revelator describes twelve 
thousand persons as being selected from each tribe, who received 
the seal of God in their foreheads, that they might not be hurt in 
the approaching calamities. The threatened judgment seems 
to have been delayed, that all possible preparation for the security 
of the Christians, amid the coming dangers, might be made, — a 
circumstance which the revelator describes in his own style : 
" And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the 
seal of the living God : and he cried with a loud voice to the 



DATE OF THE APOCALYPSE. 



55 



four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, 
saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we 
have sealed the servants of God in their foreheads." The number 
of those that were sealed Was one hundred and forty-four thousand, 
" of all the tribes of the children of Israel." The tribes mentioned 
were the tribes of Juda, of Reuben, of Gad, of Aser, of Nephthalim, 
of Manasses, of Simeon, of Levi, of Issachar, of Zabulon, of Joseph, 
of Benjamin. Here is so plain a reference to the tribes as existing 
at the time, that one would consider it as decisive of the question 
that the book must have been written before the destruction of tjie 
nation. To this it may be said, in reply, that the revelator was 
perhaps contemplating the tribes retrospectively. But such a 
supposition conflicts with the plan of the Apocalypse ; and more- 
over, the fourth chapter, which begins the second great division 
of that book, opens by saying, " Come up hither, and I will show 
thee things which must be hereafter." The tribes did not exist 
as such, after the dissolution of the nation. And why should 
these tribes have been mentioned in the manner pointed out, if 
Judea were not involved in the judgment ? Why should Jewish 
Christians alone be mentioned ? We confess we know of no 
answer that can be given to these queries. 

We find also references in the Apocalypse to the City of 
Jerusalem as still standing, at the time that book was written. 
Speaking of the two witnesses who had been slain for the testi- 
mony of Jesus, the revelator says, " And their dead bodies shall 
lie in the streets of the great city, which spiritually is called 
Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified ;" xi. 8. 
It was a custom with the sacred writers to call one city by the 
name of another, to signify some point of resemblance. Thus 
Jerusalem was called Sodom, after the example of Isaiah i. 10, 
on account of its wickedness ; and it was also called Egypt, per- 
haps for the same reason. It was spiritually called Sodom and 
Egypt, i. e., it was called so figuratively or metaphorically. But 



56 



INTRODUCTION. 



to set aside all question that Jerusalem was intended, see the 
revelator's adjunct, " where also our Lord was crucified." The 
bodies of the witnesses, then, were to lie in the streets of Jerusa- 
lem. But how could this be, if the city had been destroyed ? 
And further on in the description the revelator said, that after 
three days the spirit of life entered into the witnesses, and they 
stood upon their feet, and they ascended up to heaven in a cloud, 
and their enemies beheld them ; " and the same hour was there a 
great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell," &c, &c. 
This is the same city, viz., "where our Lord was crucified;" 
and how could the revelator have prophesied in this manner, had 
he not written before the destruction of Jerusalem ? 

Closely allied to this argument is the one which is founded on 
the mention of the Temple in the Apocalypse. As the revelator 
draws towards the final catastrophe of the Jews, (on our plan of 
interpreting the Apocalypse,) after the mighty angel had sworn 
there should be time no longer, he surveyed the temple doomed 
to destruction. And as it had been carefully measured and laid 
out when it was built, as described in the prophecy of Ezekiel, 
so now is it to be measured preparatory to its destruction. Hence 
says the revelator, " There was given me a reed like unto a rod : 
and the angel stood, saying, Rise and measure the temple of God, 
and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court 
which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not ; for it 
is given unto the Gentiles, and the holy city shall they tread 
under foot forty and two months." Our Lord himself had said, 
" Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles ;" Luke xxi. 
24. To the outer court, called " the court of the Gentiles," they 
had always had access, and consequently there was no need of 
measuring that ; but the holy temple, and especially the area of 
the altar, had not been profaned by Gentile feet. They are now 
to be given up to destruction, as well as the people who worship- 
ped before that holy shrine. " Rise and measurg the temple of 



DATE OF THE APOCALYPSE. 



51 



God, and the altar, and them that worship therein." Does not 
the revelator speak here of the temple as standing in his day ? 
If so, must not the Apocalypse have been written before the de- 
struction of Jerusalem ? The efforts of Titus razed the holy 
building to the ground. Not one stone was left upon another. 
How, then, can any person explain the revelator's commission to 
measure the temple, if he wrote after its utter demolition ? 

But do we not find prophecies in the Apocalypse of the very 
event — the destruction of Jerusalem ? Does not the revelator 
quote the very language applied by our Lord to that event ? his 
identical metaphors ? Our Lord had said, " Immediately after 
the tribulation of those days, [he had been speaking of the wars, 
pestilences, and famines,] shall the sun be darkened, and the 
moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, 
and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken." He thus de- 
scribed the fall of the Jewish powers. And what saith the rev- 
elator ? " The sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the 
moon became as blood, and the stars of heaven fell to the earth," 
&c. &c. The terrified victims of these judgments cried, as the 
revelator described it, " And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall 
on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, 
and from the wrath of the Lamb ;" and this also is quoted from 
a passage of our Lord, in which he was speaking of the judgment 
that would come on the Jews. For when the Jewish women 
bewailed and lamented him, as he was led forth to crucifixion, he 
said, " Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for 
yourselves and for your children. For behold the days are 
coming in which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, &c. &c. 
Then shall they say to the mountains, Fall onus ; and to the hills, 
Cover us." How can we, then, avoid the conviction, that the 
figures employed by the revelator in the sixth chapter of the 
Apocalypse were designed by him to be applied to the fall of the 
Jews, and the overthrow of their city ? After our Lord had said 



58 



INTRODUCTION. 



(as recorded in the twenty-fourth of Matthew) that the sun should 
be darkened, and the moon should not give her light, &c. &c, and 
that then should appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, — 
the next particular to which he adverted is the gathering together 
of his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the 
other. And it is remarkable that the revelator, after having de- 
scribed the changes in the sun, moon, and stars, (evidently copy- 
ing our Lord's metaphors,) proceeded in the next place to describe 
the sealing of God's elect ; and the four winds are commanded to 
be still, and to blow not on the earth, until the process of sealing 
was fully completed. There is such an agreement here between 
our Lord and his servant who wrote the Apocalypse, that we 
cannot resist the conviction that they were both speaking of the 
same event. 

5. The time of writing the Apocalypse, as certain writers have 
supposed, can be determined with a considerable degree of cer- 
tainty, by the references to the Roman emperors which we find 
therein. In describing the judgment of Rome, the seven-hilled 
city, the revelator says : " There are seven kings ; five are fail- 
en, and one is, and the other is not yet come ; and when he com- 
eth, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, 
and is not, he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into 
perdition ;" xvii. 10, 11. Rome was represented by the har- 
lot, who sat on the beast ; and the beast represented the empire. 
This we shall take for granted in this place ; and refer the reader 
to the commentary on that passage. During the revelator's life- 
time, there was no city but Rome that could be thought to corres- 
pond to his description in the seventeenth chapter. " Besides, 
(says Prof. Stuart,) in ver. 9, the seven heads of the beast are 
said to symbolize ' the seven hills on which the woman sitteth,' 
i. e., the seven hills on which Rome was built, the Septicollis Roma 
of the Latin writers. There is no room for mistake here ; and 
as little room, it seems to me, is there for mistake in another part 



DATE OF THE APOCALYPSE. 



59 



of the same explanatory chapters, viz., ver. 10. Here it is said that 
the seven heads of the beast also symbolize seven kings, viz., of 
Rome. The writer proceeds : ' Five are fallen ; one is ; the 
other has not yet come, but when he shall come, he will remain 
but for a short time.' That the Roman emperors were usually 
styled fiaoiletg by the Greeks, needs no proof. That the line or 
succession of emperors is here meant, and not the primitive kings 
of Rome, is certain from the connection of the five with the one 
who is, and the one who is to come. We have only to reckon, then, 
the succession of emperors, and we must arrive with certainty 
at the reign under which the Apocalypse was written. If we be- 
gin with Julius Coesar, it stands thus : Caesar, Augustus, Tibe- 
rius, Caligula, Claudius ; these make up the five who had fallen. 
Of course the Apocalypse was written during the reign of Nero, 
who is the sixth. [And this, it will be remembered, is the fact 
which is asserted on the title-page of the Syriac version of the 
Apocalypse.] If, with some critics, we commence with. Augustus, 
then the Apocalypse was written during the short reign, of Galba, 
who succeeded Nero." In counting the Roman emperors, only an 
occasional beginning with Augustus can be shown in classic au- 
thors. The almost universal usage is against it. The probabil- 
ity on other grounds is against beginning with Augustus. Every 
part of the Apocalypse shows that persecution was raging and in- 
stant when the book was written. But this could not be true, at 
most, but a few days after Nero's death, for the persecution was 
not continued under his successor. Besides, when the writer 
adverts to the shortness of time in which the seventh king would 
reign, (which fits Galba especially, as he reigned but seven 
months,) why, in case he wrote during the reign of Galba, should 
he overlook the shortness of his reign, and advert in this respect 
merely to the succeeding reign of Otho ? There is, moreover, a 
plain reference, in Rev. xiii. 10, to the future death of Nero, 
as well as to his then present cruelties. " He that leadeth 



60 



INTRODUCTION. 



into captivity, shall go into captivity ; he that killeth with the 
sword, must be killed with the sword." All this agrees very 
well with the time of Nero, but not with that of Galba. But at 
all events, which side soever of this dispute we take, it must be 
allowed that the Apocalypse was written previously to the de- 
struction of Jerusalem, for that calamity did not take place until 
the reign of Vespasian. Some writers have maintained, as 
Eichorn and Bleek, that the last-named was the sixth emperor. 
Such begin with Augustus, and omit the three who reigned so 
briefly, viz., Galba, Otho, and Vitellius. They count as follows: 
Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Vespasian. Al- 
though we think the arrangement which makes Nero the sixth, 
has by far the strongest proof in its favor, yet even this last 
would be consistent with the supposition that the Apocalypse 
was written previously to the fall of Jerusalem. But if we sup- 
pose it not to have been written until the reign of Domitian, how 
shall we make out that only five emperors had fallen? The 
Apocalypse was certainly written in the reign of the sixth empe- 
ror ; and on what principle the sixth can be proved to have been 
Domitian, we cannot see. The weight of evidence is altogether in 
favor of the supposition that Nero was the sixth ; and as this 
agrees with the declaration on the title-page of the Syriac ver- 
sion, that John was banished during the reign of Nero, which 
shows what was the current opinion in the East, we rest with no 
small confidence in the belief that that opinion was correct. 

6. Sir Isaac Newton has advanced the supposition, which, he 
says, " to considering men may seem a good reason, to others 
not," viz., that the Apocalypse seems to be alluded to in the epis- 
tles of Peter, and in that to the Hebrews. He mentions the fol- 
lowing subjects in the Epistle to the Hebrews, which seem to have 
been drawn from the Apocalypse, viz., the sharp two-edged 
sword ; the aaSfiaTiafiog, or millennial rest ; the earth whose end 
is to be burned ; the judgment and fiery indignation that shall 



i 



DATE OF THE APOCALYPSE. 61 

devour the adversaries ; the heavenly city which hath founda- 
tions ; the cloud of witnesses ; Mount Zion ; the heavenly Jeru- 
salem; the general assembly, and the church of the first-born j 
the shaking of the heaven and earth, that the new heaven and 
new earth which cannot be shaken may remain. In the first of 
Peter occurs the expression, " The revelation of Jesus Christ," 
twice or thrice repeated ; and Peter also makes mention of the 
church at Babylon, which it seems difficult to account for, unless 
we suppose him to have used the name after the manner of the 
revelator. Sir Isaac further supposes that the sure word of proph- 
ecy, referred to in the 2d Epistle of Peter, was the prophecy of 
the revelator. It must be confessed that there is a remarkable 
agreement between the contents of that Epistle, after mention is 
made of " the sure word of prophecy," and the contents of the 
Apocalypse. In fact, in one place, Peter seems to be fearful that 
the Christians would not watch diligently for the coming of their 
Lord, because the revelator had spoken of the intervention of a 
thousand years before the establishment of the New Jerusalem ; 
and he proceeds to say, " that the heavens and the earth which are 
now by the same word, are kept in store, reserved unto fire against 
the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." And, ap- 
parently through fear that they would not expect to live to see 
this day, on account of some impression they had, from divine 
authority, that a thousand years were to pass away before these 
events should happen, he bids them remember " that one day is 
with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one 
day 2 Peter, hi. S; " that the Lord is not slack concerning his 
promise, as some men count slackness, but is long suffering to 
us-ward. not willing that any should perish, but that all should 
come to repentance ;" that the day of the Lord should come as a 
thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with 
a great noise ; which seems to agree quite nearly with what the 
revelator said should happen after the thousand years had expired, 
6 



62 



INTRODUCTION, 



viz., " I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from 
whose face the earth and heaven fled away, and there was found 
no place for them;" Eev. xx. 11. The revelator then proceeds 
to speak of the judgment of the dead, small and great; after which, 
he tells us, that the New Jerusalem came down from God out 
of heaven, and that the tabernacle of God is with men, referring 
to the establishment of the kingdom of God upon the earth. And 
in the same manner Peter, after he had mentioned the thousand 
years, and insisted, notwithstanding this term had been used, still 
the day was near, and would come as a thief, and the heavens 
and earth that then were should pass away, proceeds to say, that 
nevertheless he looked, agreeably to the promise of God, for 
" new heavens and a new earth," wherein dwelleth righteousness. 
These answer to the New Jerusalem, seen by John, in which God 
would dwell with men, and there should be no more death, nor 
sorrow, nor crying, nor pain. It seems to us very probable, from 
the comparison here instituted between the Epistle of Peter and 
the Apocalypse, that the latter was written before the former. 
Nero began to reign A. D. 54. The two Epistles of Peter are 
supposed to have been written about ten or eleven years after 
this ; so that a sufficient time did elapse after Nero came to 
the throne, and before the Epistles of Peter were written, for that 
emperor to banish John to Patmos, for John to write the Apoca- 
lypse there, and for the Christians to get a knowledge of it. 

7. There are other circumstances which serve to confirm the 
impression that the Apocalypse could not have been written so 
late as the reign of Domitian, and near the end of his reign, as 
Irenoeus hath it. That emperor ceased to reign in A. D. 96 ; and 
hence we are told that the Apocalypse was written about 95 or 
96. But how old was John at that date ? (for it is allowed by 
those who adhere to this date that John was the author of the 
book.) We suppose he could not have been far from the age of 
our Lord. But allowing that he was somewhat younger, say 



DATE OF THE APOCALYPSE. 



63 



twenty-five, at the time he was called to be an apostle, then 
he must have been ninety-three or ninety-four at the time it 
is said he wrote the Apocalypse. Does this appear probable ? 
Can we believe that the man was over ninety years of age when 
he wrote that book ? There is a luxuriance of imagination dis- 
played in the Apocalypse that comports much better with his age 
at an earlier date than at the year 96, when, as we have shown, 
he must have been nearly an hundred years old. We hold, 
then, that the extreme age of John in the year 95 or afterwards, 
would show that he could not then have written the Apoca- 
lypse. 

8. There still remains another consideration. It is said, by 
those competent to judge, that the original text of the Apocalypse, 
although exhibiting the same general peculiarities of diction with 
St. John's Gospel and Epistles, yet nevertheless abounds much 
more in Hebraisms and anomalies — a circumstance which seems 
to intimate an earlier period of the author's life, when he had but 
just begun to write in a foreign tongue. 

Sir Isaac Newton, speaking of the style of the Apocalypse, 
says : " It is fuller of Hebraisms than John's Gospel. From 
thence it may be gathered, that it was written when John was 
newly come out of Judea, where he had been used to the Syriac 
tongue ; and that he did not write his Gospel, till, by long converse 
with the Asiatic Greeks, he had left off most of the Hebraisms." 
— (" Observations," &c, part ii., chap, i.) 

IV. RECAPITULATION. 

We have thus gone through, in a very brief manner, with the 
category of reasons, which have been suggested to our mind, in 
favor of the fact that the Apocalypse was written previously to 
the destruction of Jerusalem. In regard to the historical testi- 
mony, it will be remembered, that Epiphanius repeatedly affirmed 



64 



INTRODUCTION. 



that the book was written in the reign of Claudius, or pre- 
viously to 54. Tertullian, and after him Jerome, are supposed 
to have taught that John was banished to Patmos in the reign of 
Nero, and this agrees with the title-page of the Syriac version of 
the book ; but Irenseus affirms that the Apocalypse was seen 
near the end of Domitian's reign. The mass of the writers have 
followed Irenseus, so that after all we perhaps have the testimony 
of only one man to this point. But is it certain that Irenseus 
meant that the Apocalypse was not written until that time ? He 
says it was not seen. Did he mean that John did not have his 
vision until then ? or that the work had not appeared, so far as 
he knew, until that date ? If he meant the latter, it is consistent 
with the fact that it was written in the time of Nero. If he 
meant the former, then we shall be obliged to conclude with Sir 
Isaac Newton, that that father had perhaps heard from his master, 
Polycarp, that he had received this book from John about the 
time of Domitian's death ; or indeed John might himself at that 
time have made a new publication of it, from whence Irenceus 
might have imagined it was then but newly written. But even 
though no force be given to these conjectures, the preponderance 
of evidence found in the book itself is so great, in favor of the 
belief that it was written before the destruction of Jerusalem, 
that in our mind not a single doubt remains. This supposition, 
thus substantially established, agrees entirely with the divine 
character of the book. It weakens not our confidence in its au- 
thenticity. It places the writing of it nearer to the day of Christ ; 
and it enables us to show that it has a nearer and stronger alli- 
ance to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, and to the 
Epistles. It enables us to interpret what is said in the Apocalypse 
of the coming of Christ, the day of the Lord, the judgment of the 
nations, the establishment of his kingdom, and the descent of the 
New Jerusalem, in harmony with the signification which those 
subjects unquestionably bear in the Gospels and Epistles. The 



DATE OF THE APOCALYPSE. 



DO 



Gospel of John was not written probably until after the destruction 
of Jerusalem ; and this is the reason, we conclude, why the lu- 
minous discourse of Jesus concerning that event, recorded by 
Matthew, Mark, and Luke, is omitted by John. But this reason, 
which would lead us to assign a late date to the Gospel of John, 
would lead us to assign an earlier date to the Apocalypse; for 
therein we find most of the warnings, comparisons, metaphors, 
and prophecies, pertaining to the destruction of Jerusalem, which 
the three first-named Gospels and the Epistles contain. 

"We conclude, then, with a repetition of the remark above made, 
that in our mind there remains not a doubt that the Apocalypse 

was written before the destruction of Jerusalem. 
6* 



PLAN OF THE APOCALYPSE. 



It will assist the reader greatly in understanding the Apocalypse, 
to become familiar, in the first place, with the plan, project, or 
design. 

To assist him in this, the following map or description is drawn. 

The Apocalypse is principally divided into four parts. We 
are confident this was not understood by those who divided the 
New Testament into chapters and verses. It will not, therefore, 
be in our power to pay a strict reference to that division. 

FIRST PART. This comprises the first three chapters, and 
contains the introduction, and the epistles to the seven churches in 
Asia. 

SECOND PART. This comprises the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 
9th, 10th, and 11th chapters. It is capable of a very important 
subdivision, as we shall show hereafter. The great topic of this 
general division is the overthrow of the Jewish nation, temple, 
and worship, and the establishment of the kingdom of God in the 
place of the Mosaic ritual. 

THIRD PART. This part extends from the beginning of 
chapter xii. to xx. 10. The principal subject throughout is the 
overthrow of the Roman persecuting power. 

FOURTH PART. The fourth and last part extends from 
chapter xx. 11, to the end of the book. It is to be regretted that 
the division of chapters had not been made at the end of the 10th 
verse of the 20th chapter. If the 21st chapter had commenced at 
the beginning of the 11th verse of the 20th, the division would 
have corresponded much more nearly to the true plan of the work 
than it now does. The subject is the final triumph of the Gospel. 
The principal visions of the Apocalypse will be found in the 2d, 
3d, and 4th parts. 



68 



PLAN OF THE APOCALYPSE. 



The following scale will put the four divisions before the 
of the reader at a glance : 

Chapter I. ) Introduction; 
" II. > and 
" III. ) Epistles to the Seven Churches. 



Chapter 




Overthrow 
of the 

Jewish Nation and Keligion, 
and 

the establishment of the 
Kingdom of God. 



Chapter 



XII. 
XIII. 
XIV. 
XV. 
XVI. 
XVII. 
XVIII. 
XIX. 
XX. 



1 

2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 



Overthrow 
of the 
'Roman Persecuting 
Power. 



12 Establishment 

13 I and 

14 / triumph 



15 



Chapter XXI. 

XXII. 



of 

Christianity. 



PLAN OF THE APOCALYPSE. 



69 



A MORE CIRCUMSTANTIAL ACCOUNT OF THE DIVISIONS OF 
THE APOCALYPSE. 

PART I. 
CHAPTERS I. — III. 



Preface, or Inscription, chap. i. 1 — 3 

Salutation and Introduction, . " " 4 — 20 

EPISTLES TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES. CHAPTERS II. and III. 

Epistle to the Church at Ephesus, .... chap. ii. 1 — 7 

Epistle to the Church at Smyrna, " " 8 — 11 

Epistle to the Church at Pergamos, " " 12 — 17 

Epistle to the Church at Thyatira, " " 18—29 

Epistle to the Church at Sardis, chap. iii. 1 — 6 

Epistle to the Church at Philadelphia, . . . . " " 7 — 13 
Epistle to the Church at Laodicea, " " 14—22 



PART II. 

CHAPTERS IV.— XI. 

Description of the imaginary dwelling-place of God, and of his 

attendants and their employments, chap. iv. 
Opening of the book sealed with seven seals, which revealed the 
punishment and destruction of the Jews, chap. v. 

EVENTS PRELIMINARY TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. 



Opening of the 1st seal — Preaching of the Gospel, vi. 1, 2. 

" 2d " War, " 3, 4. 

" 3d " Famine, " 5, 6. 

" 4th " Pestilence, "7, 8. 
" " 5th " Blood of the martyrs not 

yet avenged, ... " 9 — 11. 



" 6th " Symbols of the destruc- 
tion of the Jews, and 
the sealing of the one 
hundred and forty- 
four thousand, . . " 12 — vii. 17 
" 7th " The sounding of the 

seven trumpets, . . viii. 1 — xi. 19 



70 



PLAN OF THE APOCALYPSE. 



RECAPITULATION OF THE EVENTS UNDER THE SEVENTH SEAL. 

The description of the events under the seventh seal, as we 
have indicated, extends through the entire 8th, 9th, 10th, and 
11th chapters ; and we find under this seal another series of seven, 
viz., the sounding of the seven trumpets, as follows: 

Trumpets given to the seven angels, . . . viii. 1 — 6 

SOUNDING OF THE TRUMPETS. 



1st trumpet — Partial calamities of the Jews, . " 7 

2d " The same, " 8, 9 

3d " The same, " 10, 11 

4th " The same, " 12, 13 

WOE TRUMPETS. 

5th " Approach of the Roman armies, . ix. 1 — 12 

6th " Increase of the armies, and end of 

the Jewish state declared, . . " 13 — xi. 14 
7th " Establishment of the Kingdom of 

Christ, xi. 15 — 19 



PART III. 

CHAPTERS XII. — XX. 10. 

Woman clothed with the sun, whom the dragon 

persecuted, xii. entire. 

The first beast, xiii. 1 — 10 

The second beast, " 11 — 18 

Symbols of the Christian Victory, xiv. entire. 

SEVEN VIALS OF WRATH. 

The vial angels appear, xv. 1 

At this the Church praises God, " 2 — 4 

Vials given to the angels, " 5 — 8 

1st vial poured out, . . xvi. 1, 2 

2d " " " "3 

3d " " " . » 4—7 

4th " " " " 8, 9 

5th » « « "10, 11 

6th « « " . . . « 12—16 

7th " « « « 17—21 



PLAN OF THE APOCALYPSE. 



71 



Explanation of the judgment of the great harlot, xvii. entire. 

Fall of the city of Rome, xviii. entire. 

Joy of the saints, xix. 1 — 11 

Final victory, " 12 — xx. 10. 

Thus the third part ends in the middle of the twentieth chapter. 



PART IV. 
CHAPTER XX. 11, TO END OF THE APOCALYPSE. 

FINAL PREVALENCE OF THE GOSPEL, AND BLESSEDNESS OF BELIEVERS. 



The mediatorial throne established, . . . . xx. 11 

Christ's judgment of the nations, "12,13 

Death and hell destroyed, "14 

Enemies also destroyed, "15 

Descent of the New Jerusalem, and all things 

made new, xxi. 1 — 7 

Punishment of unbelievers contrasted with the 

felicity of believers, " 8 

The New Jerusalem largely described, ..." 9 — xxii. 5 

EPILOGUE. 

Angel of the Apocalypse (mentioned i. 1) as- 
sures John, at the close, of the truth of 

what he had shown him, xxii. 6, 7 

John falls to worship the angel, " 8 

This the angel forbids, " 9 

He repeats that the time of the fulfilment is at 

hand, " 10, 11 

Jesus confirms the whole, especially the fact " 

that he will come quickly, " 12, 20 

Benediction, "21 



THE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE Revelation of Jesus 
Christ, which God gave 
unto him, to shew unto his ser- 



CHAPTER I. 

The Revelation. — This book is 
called the Revelation of Jesus Christ 
for two reasons ; 1st, it was a reve- 
lation « which God gave unto him;" 
and, 2nd, it was a revelation which 
he made to his servant John. The 
word revelation here should be taken 
in its usual and obvious sense, as a 
manifestation of a thing which was 
before hidden or secret. The truths 
of the book were communicated from 
God to the mind of his Son Jesus 
Christ, and from the mind of Jesus 
Christ to that of John. Of the man- 
ner of the revelation it is not neces- 
sary that we speak ; the fact is plainly- 
established by the text. For other 
instances of the occurrence of this 
word, see Rom. ii. 5 ; viii. 19 ; xvi. 25 ; 
Gal. i. 12 ; and from the last verse 
quoted it will be perceived, that Paul 
also received the gospel which he 
preached " by the revelation of Jesus 
Christ." In profession, at least, the 
Epistles of Paul and the Apocalypse 
stand on the same ground, as it re- 
spects the authority from which they 
were derived. *[[ Shortly come to pass . 
— This is a very important point. It 
is stated at the very commencement 
of the Revelation, and is worthy of 
peculiar attention. One would con- 
clude that all the matters contained 
in the book were to be fulfilled at no 
7 



vants things which must shortly 
come to pass ; and he sent and 
signified it by his angel unto his 
servant John : 



distant day. This, however, is not 
to be understood as if everything 
mentioned in the book were future j 
for it will be seen by i. 19, that some 
things had passed, and some were 
then present. It could be said only 
of those which were future, that they 
were "shortly to come to pass." 
The fact, that the events foretold by 
the revelator were near, was asserted 
by him again and again ; see i. 3. 
So much for the commencement of 
the work. At the conclusion, the 
nearness of the events is again re- 
peatedly declared; xxii. 7, 12, 20. 
In fact, we have almost the very 
words at the conclusion which we 
have at the beginning — "The Lord 
God of the holy prophets sent his 
angel to shew unto his servants the 
things which must shortly be done ;" 
xxii. 6, compared with i. 1. The 
remarks of the very learned Dr. 
Hammond are so valuable on this 
point, that we shall present them, 
at some length : — " Having gone 
through all the other parts of the 
New Testament, I came to this last 
of the Apocalypse, as to a rock that 
many had miscarried and split upon, 
with a full resolution not to venture 
on the expounding of one word in it, 
but only to perform one office to it, 
common to the rest, the review of 
the translation. But it pleased God 
otherwise to dispose of it ; for before 



74 



REVELATION. 



2 Who bare record of the 
word of God, and of the testi- 

I had read (with that design of 
translating only) to the end of the 
first verse of the book, these words, 
which must come to pass presently, 
had such an impression on my mind, 
offering themselves as a key to the 
whole prophecie, (in like manner as, 
this generation shall not pass till all these 
things be fulfilled — Matt. 24, 34, — 
have demonstrated infallibly to what 
coming of Christ that whole chapter 
did belong,) that I could not resist the 
force of them, but attempted presently 
a general survey of the whole book, 
to see whether those words might not 
probably be extended to all the proph- 
ecies of it, and have a literal truth 
in them, viz., that the things foretold 
and represented in the ensuing visions 
were presently, speedily to come to pass, 
one after another, after the writing of 
them. But before I could prudently 
pass this judgment, which was to be 
founded in understanding the subject- 
matter of all the visions, some other 
evidences I met with, concurring with 
this, and giving me abundant grounds 
of confidence of this one thing, that 
although I should not be able to 
understand one period of all these 
visions, yet I must be obliged to think 
that they belonged to those times that 
were then immediately ensuing, and 
that they had accordingly their com- 
pletion ; and, consequently, that they 
that pretended to find in those visions 
the predictions of events in these later 
ages, and those so nicely defined as 
to belong to particular acts and per- 
sons in this and some other kingdoms, 
(a far narrower circuit, also, than 
that which reasonably was to be as- 
signed to that one Christian prophecie 
for the universal church of Christ,) 
had much mistaken the drift of it. 
The arguments that induced this 
conclusion were these : First, that 
this was again immediately incul- 
cated, v. 3, for the time is nigh, and 
that rendered as a proof that these 
seven churches, to whom the prophecie 



mony of Jesus Christ, and of all 
things that he saw. 

was written, were concerned to ob- 
serve and consider the contents of it. 
Blessed is he that reads, and he that 
hears, fyc, (saith Arethas, that so hears 
as to practise.) for the time, or season, 
the point of time, is near at hand. 
Secondly, that as here in the front, so 
c. xxii. 6, at the close, or shutting up 
of all these visions, and of St. John's 
Epistle to the seven churches, which 
contained them, 't is there again add- 
ed, that God hath sent his angel to 
shew to his servants the things that 
must be speedily, or suddenly ; and im- 
mediately upon the back of that are 
set the words of Christ, the author of 
this prophecie, Behold I come quickly, 
not in the notion of his final coming 
to judgment, (which hath been the 
cause of a great deal of mistake — see 
note on Matt. xxiv. 6,) but of his com- 
ing to destroy his enemies, the Jews, 
&c.; and then, Blessed is he that observes, 
or keeps, the prophecies of this book, par- 
allel to what has been said at the be- 
ginning, c. i. 3. Thirdly, that, xxii. 
10, the command is given to John, not 
to seal the prophecies of the book, which 
that it signifies that they were of 
present use to those times, and there- 
fore to be kept open, and not to be 
laid up as things that posterity was 
only or principally concerned in, ap- 
pears by that reason rendered of it, 
because the time is nigh, the same 
which had here at the beginning been 
given, as the reason that he that con- 
sidered the prophecies was blessed in 
so doing." — (Intro, to Apoc.) The 
remarks of Professor Stuart on this 
point are certainly worthy of very 
serious consideration, coming, as 
they do, not only from a gentleman 
of very great learning, but from 
one whose preconceived opinions 
would have led him to take different 
ground, had he regarded it as being 
tenable. "In Rev. i. 1, the writer 
says, that God gave to Christ the reve- 
lation, in order to show his servants 
what should take place speedily. 



CHAPTER I. 



75 



3 Blessed is he that readeth, 
and they that hear the words of 
this prophecy, and keep those 



quickly. In i. 3, the author solemnly 
declares, that what is written in this 
book is of speedy accomplishment ; 
the time is near, i. e. the time when 
what is revealed will be accomplished. 
Thus much in the prologue to the 
book. The epilogue repeats three 
several times the equivalent declara- 
tion, Behold, I come quickly ; xxii. 7, 
12, 20. The coming of Christ is the 
main subject of the book, so that the 
declaration here is, that what the 
book contains will speedily be accom- 
plished. That such must be the 
meaning, is evident by appeal to sim- 
ilar declarations in Rev. ii. 16, iii. 
11, and xi. 14. No one can doubt, 
that what is said is what is meant, in 
these last cases. As little reasonable 
doubt can there be, if philology is to 
be trusted, in the cases just cited in the 
prologue and epilogue of the book. 
What tolerable meaning now can be 
given, and defended on exegetical 
grounds, to the declarations in ques- 
tion, if we suppose that the main por- 
tion of the book relates to events 
some thousand and more of years 
then future ? And if every writer is 
to be permitted the liberty of explain- 
ing his own purpose, why should Ave 
refuse to John the liberty that we 
concede to all others ? " — (Hints 
on Prophecy, 2d ed., pp. Ill, 112.) 
*ft By his angel. — As angels are spo- 
ken of so frequently in this book, 
each one always performing a differ- 
ent office, it is worthy of remark, that 
the angel here spoken of is the one 
who made known the whole revela- 
tion, and hence may be called the 
apocalyptical angel. We shall meet 
with many angels in the course of 
the book ; but we shall not meet with 
this one again until we come near the 
close, xxii. 6, 8. ^[ His servant John. 
— That John, the apostle, is here 
meant, is shown in the introduction 
to this work. 



things which are written there- 
in : for the time is at hand. 
4 John to the seven churches 



Ver. 2. Who bear record. — John bear 
record of the three things here named. 
1st. The word of God : 2d. The tes- 
timony of Jesus Christ 5 and, 3d. 
" All things that he (John) saw." 
1st. Whether the word of God here is 
to bear the same sense as in John i. 
1, or whether it signifies the gospel 
of God, is somewhat doubtful. It is 
precisely the same phrase which is 
used personally for Christ in xix. 13. 
2d. It was a favorite practice of 
John, in his gospel and epistles, to 
speak of the gospel of Jesus as a 
testimony, and the preaching or pub- 
lishing of it as testifying, or bearing 
witness, &c. 3d. By all things that 
he saw, John, doubtless, meant those 
which the angel showed unto him. 

Ver. 3. Blessed is he that readeth, 
and they that hear. — When the Apoc- 
alypse was written, books were few, 
and few persons, therefore, could 
read. Many were obliged to hear, 
because they could not obtain the 
manuscripts to read them. Hence 
the readers and the hearers are both 
mentioned. The language is proba- 
bly desigued to have special applica- 
tion to the churches whom John ad- 
dressed. But it is not he who read- 
eth only, but readeth and keepeth. 
So in Luke xi. 28, " Blessed are they 
that hear the word of God and keep it." 
^ For the time is at hand. — What 
time ? The time when these great 
events were to be fulfilled. The time 
mentioned ver. 1, and that was shortly 
to come. Thus far the preface of the 
book. The first three verses are the 
preface ; and the preface contains 
three points : 1st. By whom the reve- 
lation was made ; 2d. The subject- 
matter of the revelation ; and, 3d. 
The blessedness of reading and keep- 
ing it. It was addressed particularly 
to that generation, to people then on 
the earth. They were called on to 
read and keep the word, for the time 



76 



REVELATION. 



which are in Asia : Grace be 



was at hand. Is not the time here in- 
tended the time of Christ's coming to 
take vengeance on the Jews? See 
the remarks on i. 1. In the 22d 
chapter of this book, the revelator 
says, " Seal not the sayings of the 
prophecy of this book, [why ?] for the 
time is at hand 5" ver. 10. Again, 
ver. 12, "Behold I come quickly.' 7 
And again, ver. 20, " Surely, I come 
quickly." In 1 Peter iv. 7, "The 
end of all things is at hand." So in 
2 Thess. ii. 2, « The day of Christ is 
at hand." In Phil. iv. 5, "The Lord 
[or the day, coming of the Lord,] is 
at hand ;" and in Rom. xiii. 12, 
" The night is far spent, the day is at 
hand." Such is the uniform lan- 
guage of the epistles. The coming 
of Christ, the great day of the Lord, 

Was AT HAND. 

Ver. 4. Having thus concluded the 
brief preface, or introduction, v/e 
come now to the book itself. It is in 
the form of an epistle. John to the 
seven churches. Here the revelator 
once more gives his name. If he had 
been any other than the apostle John, 
there would have been some need of 
his explaining himself further, and 
showing who he was. He says, 
John, by way of preeminence, mean- 
ing the John of the church. And what 
seven churches are here referred to ? 
The names of the churches are given 
in ver. 11 of this chapter, viz., the 
churches in Ephesus, Smyrna, Perga- 
mos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, 
and Laodicea. But what need was 
there that these seven churches should 
be counselled and warned, and none 
others ? It seems very probable that 
John uses these churches as represen- 
tative of the Christian churches in gen- 
eral. He selects seven as samples of 
the rest, and gives to them the advice 
which all needed. The careful read- 
er of the Apocalypse needs not to be 
told, that the number seven is very 
frequently employed therein. It is a 
series that is continually occurring. 
/'Here we meet for the first time 



unto you, and peace, from him 

(says Woodhouse) with the mention 
of the number seven, which is after- 
wards so frequently and symbolically 
used, in this sacred book ; wherein 
we read of seven spirits of G-od, seven 
angels, seven seals, seven trumpets, 
seven vials, seven heads of the dragon 
and of the beast. In which passages, 
for the most part, as in others of holy 
Scripture, this number appears to rep- 
resent a large, complete, yet unde- 
fined quantity. Hannah, in her 
song, (1 Sam. ii. 5,) says, < The 
barren hath borne seven (that is, a 
large, but indefinite, number of) 
children.' So God threatens that he 
will punish the Israelites seven times ■ 
that is, very completely and severely. 
In the Hebrew etymology of this word 
seven, it signifies fulness and perfec- 
tion. — (Daubuz.) Philo styles it the 
completing number ; and it is men- 
tioned as such by Cyprian. "With the 
Israelites, this number became thus 
important, because God having com- 
pleted his work of creation in six 
days, and added thereto the seventh^ 
a day of rest, commanded them, in 
memorial thereof, to reckon time by 
sevens. Through the nations of the 
East, this manner of computation 
passed on to the Greeks and Romans, 
as hath been shown in a variety of 
instances. By the seven churches of 
Asia are implied all the churches of 
Asia, and, it may be, all the Christian 
churches, in whatever situation or 
period of the world. Such was the 
opinion of the most ancient commen- 
tators on the Apocalypse, who lived 
near to the time of its publication." 
— (Annotations on the Apocalypse, 
8vo., London, 1828, p. 58.) % Grace 
be unto you. — This is the apostol- 
ical benediction. " Grace to you, 
and peace from God our Father, and 
the Lord Jesus Christ." Rom. i. 7 • 
and the same may be found in sub- 
stance in various other places. 1 Cor. 
i. 3 ; 2 Cor. i. 2 ; Gal. i. 3 ; Eph. i. 2 ; 
Phil. i. 2; Col. i. 2; 1 Thess. i. 1 j 2 
Thess. i. 2; Phil. 3. In all these 



CHAPTER I. 



77 



which is, and which was, and 
which is to come ; and from, the 
seven spirits which are before 
his throne ; 



cases, and many others which might 
be named, mention is made first of 
God the Father, and second, of his 
Son Jesus Christ. The reveiator gives 
it more the Hebrew form. Instead 
of speaking of God as the Father, he 
calls him the present, the past, and the 
to come, which seems to have been de- 
signed to express his endless exis- 
tence. It is a circumlocution for the 
name Jehovah, which, after the cap- 
tivity in Babylon, the Jews, from 
superstitious veneration for the word, 
refused to pronounce. Jehovah sig- 
nifies the self-existent, in which the 
idea of the endlessly-existent is in- 
volved : he who gives being and ex- 
istence to others. — (Calmet.) The 
Jewish writers often use the phrase, 
of which the apostle's Greek terms 
are a literal translation. — (A.Clarke.) 
% And from the seven spirits. — This is 
the first mention of the seven spir- 
its, and it deserves serious consider- 
ation. There are two views taken 
of the subject by different commenta- 
tors. 1st. It is supposed that the Holy 
Spirit is intended. Bede remarks, 
" The one spirit is said to be septi- 
form to describe its perfection and 
plenitude in the same sense in 
which seven thunders are used to de- 
scribe loud thunder. The other in- 
terpretation is, that the figure of the 
seven spirits is taken from the attend- 
ants upon earthly monarchs, the 
seven most faithful and confidential 
being kept near to the royal person, 
and being his medium of communi- 
cation with his subjects. The latter 
interpretation seems to us the most 
probable, although there is nothing 
strained or unnatural in either ■ and, 
in fact, they may both be combined 
without violence. That ancient mon- 
archs were attended in the manner 
described, see Ezra vii. 14 ; Esther i. 
10, 14 ; Jer. iii. 25 ; 1 Esdras viii. 11 ; 



5 And from Jesus Christ, 
who is the faithful Witness, and 
the First-begotten of the dead, 
and the Prince of the kings of 



Tobit xii. 15. Such being the custom 
of ancient monarchs, and John draw- 
ing the court of heaven in his imag- 
ination after the form of an ancient 
earthly court, he supposed seven spir- 
its to dwell near the presence of 
God. This, however, is merely sce- 
nical ; as the robe, the ring, and the 
shoes that were put upon the prodigal 
on his return to his father's house. 
They were merely the imagery used 
by our Lord to describe the joy of the 
parent at the event. The view which 
we have adopted is further confirmed 
by the position of the seven spirits ; 
they were before the throne, not on the 
throne, with the Eternal ; but wait- 
ing at the foot thereof, to execute his 
commands. These seven spirits of 
God belong both to the Father and 
the Son, as we shall see when we 
come to other parts of the Apocalypse. 
See iii. 1 ; v. 6. The reason of this 
is obvious. Jesus is the vicegerent 
of the Father ; not ruling under him, 
but, in the spiritual kingdom, ruling 
in his room and stead. The seven 
spirits, therefore, which attended at 
God's throne, may with great pro- 
priety be said to execute the will of 
both the Father and the Son. See 
especially v. 6. 

Ver. 5. And from Jesus Christ. — 
The benediction is from the Son as 
well as from the Father, and such, 
we have shown, was the apostolical 
form. % Faithful witness. — Jesus was 
a faithful witness, faithful and true ; 
iii. 14. The word translated wit- 
ness, signifies not merely what we 
call a witness, but a martyr also, — 
one who is ready to seal his testi- 
mony with his blood. This was true 
of our Lord ; he died, in attestation of 
the truth he had taught. That the 
idea of martyrdom entered into the 
conception of the reveiator, seems 
evident from the next words. % The 



7b 



REVELATION. 



the earth. Unto him that loved 
us, and washed us from our sins 
in his own blood, 



first-begotten of the dead. — That is, 
the first-born from the dead, or the 
first raised. Paul called Christ the 
"first fruits of them that slept;" 1 
Cor. xv. 20, 23. The word translated 
first-begotten in the passage before 
us, is elsewhere in the New Testa- 
ment translated first-born. It occurs 
but once in the Apocalypse. f[ Prince 
of the kings of the earth. — The word 
translated " prince," here signifies 
leader, or first in order. Jesus is 
called " the Prince of life ;" Acts iii. 
15 ; and it is also said, " God hath 
exalted him to be a prince and a 
saviour;" Acts v. 31. He is said to 
be prince of the kings of the earth, 
because he is the greatest of all of 
them, " the King of kings and Lord 
of lords;" xix. 16. % Unto him that 
loved us and washed us, &c. — Here 
commences an ascription of praise 
and glory to Christ, which continues 
to the end of the following verse. 
And in what sense did Jesus wash 
men from their sins in his own blood ? 
The figure of blood, as it is here used, 
is derived from the ceremonies of the 
Mosaic ritual. God said to the children 
of Israel, " For the life of the flesh is in 
the blood : and I have given it to you 
upon the altar, to make an atonement 
for your souls : for it is the blood that 
makcth an atonement for the soul;" 
Lev. xvii. 11. Now, if we turn to 
the Epistle to the Hebrews, we shall 
find that Paul draws his figure of the 
sanctifying and atoning power of the 
mere blood of Christ, from this por- 
tion of the Jewish service. " Almost 
all things are by the law purged 
with blood ; and without shedding of 
blood is no remission ;" Heb. ix. 22. 
Again, Paul says, " But Christ being 
come a high priest of good things to 
come, by a greater and more perfect 
tabernacle, not made with hands, that 
is to say, not of this building ; nei- 
ther by the blood of goats and calves, 



6 And hath made us kings 
and priests unto God and his 
Father ; to him be glory and 



but by his own blood, he entered in 
once into the holy place, having ob- 
tained eternal redemption for us. 
For if the blood of bulls and of goats, 
and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling 
the unclean, sanctifieth to the purify- 
ing of the flesh, how much more 
shall the blood of Christ, who through 
the eternal Spirit offered himself with- 
out spot to God, purge your con- 
science from dead works to serve the 
living God;" 11—14. Such is the 
manner in which the mere blood of 
Christ came to be spoken of as posses- 
sing a purifying power. It is only in 
a metaphorical sense that it can have 
such a power. In this sense the blood 
of Christ is frequently spoken of by the 
New Testament writers. 1 Peter i. 2, 
19 ; 1 John i. 7 ; Kev. v. 9; vii. 14 ; 
xii. 11. It is well known to every 
student of the New Testament, that 
the truth is the purifying agent under 
the gospel. What else can purify the 
soul? Jesus prayed the Father to 
" sanctify men through the truth;" 
and then he added, " Thy word is 
truth ;" John xvii. 17. " By mercy 
and truth iniquity is purged ■ and by 
the fear of the Lord men depart from 
evil ;" Prov. xvi. 6. As the truth, 
then, is the purifier of the soul, in 
what sense is it said that the blood 
of Christ cleanseth men from sin ? 
Evidently when it stands as a meta- 
phor of the truth. Now, that John 
knew that the Lord Jesus spoke of 
his blood metaphorically for the truth, 
will be evident, if we look at his gos- 
pel. " Then Jesus said unto them, 
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except 
ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, 
and drink his blood, ye have no life 
in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and 
drinketh my blood, hath eternal life ; 
and I will raise him up at the last 
day. For my flesh is meat indeed, 
and my blood is drink indeed. He 
that eateth my flesh, and drinketh 



CHAPTER I. 



19 



dominion for ever and ever. 7 Behold, he cometh with 
Amen. clouds ; and every eye shall see 



my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in 
him ;" John vi. 53 — 56. Who can 
suppose that blood and flesh are to be 
understood here in the literal sense ? | 
Our Lord himself applied the meta- 
phor before he closed the discourse 
in which we find it. He showed 
his disciples he did not mean that 
blood, in the literal sense, would 
give them life ; for he added, " It is 
the spirit that quickeneth ; the flesh 
profiteth nothing; the words that I 
speak unto you, they are spirit, and 
they are life ;" ver. 63. This shows 
us unequivocally that blood stands 
frequently in the New Testament for 
the truth which Jesus preached. It 
is by this that men are sanctified. 
Paul states, that " Christ loved the 
church, and gave himself for it ; that 
he might sanctify and cleanse it with 
the washing of water by the word, 
that he might present it "to himself a 
glorious church, not having spot or 
wrinkle, or any such thing ; but that 
it should be holy and without blem- 
ish;" Eph. v. 25—27. When it is 
said, therefore, by the revelator, that 
Christ loved the church, and washed 
it from its sins in his own blood, he 
expresses precisely the truth stated by 
the apostle Paul, as just quoted. 

Ver. 6! Blade us Icings and priests. 
— How were the apostles and Chris- 1 
tians made " kings and priests" unto 
God ? These were the highest terms 
of distinction, and entitled the posses- 1 
sor to high honors. The believers 
are said to reign with Christ on tJic 
earth. See v. 10, " And hast made 
us unto our God kings and priests : 
and we shall reign on the earth." 
Jesus said his disciples should reign 
with him : the twelve apostles were 
promised to sit on twelve thrones, 
judging [or reigning over] the twelve 
tribes of [spiritual] Israel ; Matt. xix. 
23. True believers were said to " in- 
herit the kingdom ;" Matt. xxv. 34. 
<• Fear not, little flock ; for it is your 
Fathers good pleasure to give you 



the kingdom;" Luke xii. 32. "If 
we suffer with him, we shall also 
reign with him;" 2 Tim. ii. 12. See 
also 1 Cor. iv. 8, and vi. 2, 3. So 
God promised the Jews of old, " Now, 
therefore, if ye will obey my voice 
indeed, and keep my covenant, then 
ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto 
me above all people : for all the earth 
is mine : and ye shall be unto me a 
kingdom of priests, and a holy na- 
tion ;" Exod. xix. 5, 6. See, also, 1 
Peter ii. 5 — 9, where Peter says to 
the believers, " Ye are a chosen gen- 
eration, a royal priesthood, a holy 
nation, a peculiar people ; that ye 
should show forth the praises of him 
who hath called you out of darkness 
into his marvellous light." % To 
him be glory — i. e., to Christ, the 
Son of God, be glory and dominion. 
Jesus receives praise and homage as 
the mediator between God and men. 
If For ever and ever. — The duration 
expressed by these terms must be de- 
termined by the nature of the subject 
to which they are applied. The lit- 
eral translation is, " to the ages of the 
ages." The expression is indefinite. 
It is sometimes applied to temporal 
things, which long since came to an 
end. When applied to the existence 
of God and Christ, and the praise and 
honor which are due them, we know, 
from the nature of the subject, that 
endless duration is intended. % Amen. 
— This word signifies truth, firmness, 
stability. It is used for affirmation, 
and for x consent or desire. In the 
former sense Jesus employs it, in the 
well-known prefix to some of his 
solemn declarations, as "Verily, ver- 
ily, I say unto you ;" but it bears 
trie latter sense in the verse before 
us. After having given the ascrip- 
tion of praise and glory to Christ, 
throughout all ages, the revelator 
adds, Amen, or so let it be. 

Ver. 7. Behold he cometh. — Who is 
here intended ? Evidently, Jesus 
Christ, who had been spoken of in 



80 



REVELATION. 



him, and they also which pierced 
him ; and all kindreds of the 

the two preceding verses. This com- 
ing of Christ was that virtual dis- 
play of divine power which was seen 
at the overthrow of Jerusalem and 
the abolition of the Mosaic religion. 
The subject is clothed in oriental 
imagery. It was a figure of the an- 
cient prophets, to represent God as 
coming in the clouds. " He maketh 
the clouds his chariot." See Psa. 
civ. 3 ■ Jer. iv. 13 • Nahum i. 3 ; 
Matt. xxiv. 30. Daniel refers to the 
coming of the Son of man to establish 
his kingdom, in similar phraseology : 
" I saw in the night visions, and be- 
hold, one like the Son of man came 
with the clouds of heaven, and came 
to the Ancient of days, and they 
brought him near before him. And 
there was given him dominion, and 
glory, and a kingdom, that all people, 
nations, and languages, should serve 
him : his dominion is an everlasting 
dominion, which shall not pass away, 
and his kingdom that which shall not 
be destroyed;" vii. 13, 14. This 
coming of Christ was one of the 
events which were shortly to come to 
pass. That it was after his cruci- 
fixion is evident, because it is said, 
They that pierced him shall wail be- 
cause of him ; evidently referring to 
his crucifixion ; and all the kindreds 
and the tribes of the land should 
mourn. See Matt. xxiv. 30, where it 
will be seen the Saviour applied the 
same language in reference to his 
coming at the destruction of Jerusa- 
lem. " And then shall appear the 
sign of the Son of man in heaven : 
and then shall all the tribes of the 
earth mourn, and they shall see the 
Son of man coming in the clouds of 
heaven with power and great glory." 
Let us now consider these three pas- 
sages in connection. First, Daniel. 
He states, 1st. It is one like the Son 
of man that comes ; 2d. The Son of 
man comes " in the clouds of heav- 
en ;" 3d. He comes in his kingdom, 
or in power and glory. Second, The 



earth shall wail because of him 
Even so, Amen. 

revelator. He evidently copies 
from Daniel : 1st. " It is the Son of 
man," or Jesus Christ, that comes ; 
see ver. 4 ; 2d. " He cometh in the 
clouds ;" 3d. He cometh with power 
and glory, for all his enemies are 
cast down before him. Third, The 
Lord himself, as reported by Matthew. 
1st. It is the Son of man that comes ; 
2d. He comes " in the clouds of heav- 
en;" 3d. In power and great glory, 
and all the tribes mourn. There is 
so remarkable an agreement between 
the passages quoted from Daniel, 
from the Apocalypse, and from Mat- 
thew, that we cannot entertain a 
doubt they all refer to the same sub- 
ject, viz., Christ's coming at the over- 
throw of Jerusalem, and the abolition 
of the Mosaic religion. The testi- 
mony of the following authors will 
confirm the opinion we have given. 
Archbishop Newcome says, " The 
coming of Christ to destroy the Jews 
was a virtual, and not a real one, and 
was to be understood figuratively, 
and not literally." Again he says, 
" The destruction of Jerusalem by 
Titus is emphatically called the com- 
ing of Christ. The spirit of prophecy 
speaks particularly of this, because 
the city and temple were then de- 
stroyed, and the civil and ecclesiasti- 
cal state of the Jews subverted. The 
Jews also suffered very great calami- 
ties under Adrian ; but not so great 
as those under Vespasian ; and the 
desolation under Adrian is not so 
particularly foretold. But I think 
that any signal interposition in behalf 
of his church, or in the destruction of 
his enemies, may be metaphorically called 
a coming of Christ." — (Observations, 
pp.280, 281.) Dr. Campbell remarks, 
on the expression, " Then shall appear 
the sign of the Son of man in heaven" 
""VVe have no reason to think that a 
particular phenomenon in the sky 
is here suggested. The striking evi- 
dences which would be given of the 
divine presence, and avenging justice, 



CHAPTER 1. 81 
8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, 



are a justification of the terms." — 
(Xo:e on Matt, xxiv. 3(J.) Kenrick 
observes, " The great power and glory 
of Christ were as conspicuously dis- 
played at the destruction of Jerusalem,, 
and the other circumstances which ac- 
companied that event, as if they had 
seen him coming upon the clouds of 
heaven, to punish his enemies. When 
the prophet Isaiah represents God as 
about to punish the Egyptians, he 
speaks of him as riding upon a swift 
cloud for that purpose; Isa. six. 1. 
In that case, there was no visible ap- 
pearance of Jehovah upon a cloud : 
but it was language which the proph- 
et adopted, in order to express the 
evident hand of God in the calamities 
of Egypt. The same thing may be 
said of the language of Christ upon 
the present occasion." — (Expos, on 
Matt. xxiv. 30.) Dr. Hammond in- 
terprets Christ's coming to be a "com- 
ing in the exercise of his kingly of- 
fice, to work vengeance on his ene- 
mies, and discriminate the faithful 
believers from them." — (Par. and 
Annot. Matt, xvi. 23.) Again he 
says, " The only objection against 
this interpretation is, that this de- 
struction being wrought by the Roman 
army, and those as much enemies of 
Christianity as any, and the very same 
people that had joined with the Jews 
to put Christ to death, it doth there- 
upon appear strange, that either of 
those armies which are called abomi- 
nable should be called God's armies, 
or that Christ should be said to come, 
when in truth it was Vespasian and 
Titus that thus came against this 
people. To this I answer, that it is 
ordinary with God, in the Old Testa- 
ment, to call those Babylonish, As- 
syrian heathen armies his, which did 
his work in punishing the Jews, when 
fhey rebelled, against him." — -(Ibid. 
Matt. xxiv. 3.) ^ They also which 
pierced him. — This is peculiarly like 
the apostle John. In no other place, 
except in the Apocalypse, and in 



John's gospel, is this fact mention- 
ed about the piercing Christ's side 
with a spear ; and in both instances 
John refers to what is mentioned 
by the prophet Zech. (xii. 10.) 
viz., that those who pierced him 
should behold him at his coming in 
power and glory. These are singu- 
lar facts, if John were not the author 
of the. Apocalypse. ^[ Even so, Amen. 
— This is almost precisely like xxii. 
20, " He which testifieth these things, 
saith, surely I come quickly ; Amen. 
Even so come, Lord Jesus." It is 
an expression of desire for the com- 
ing of Christ. The enemies of Jesus 
would wail because of his coming : 
but he directed his friends to rejoice 
when that event should happen. 
" And when these things begin to 
come to pass, then look up. and lift 
up your heads : for your redemption 
draweth nigh ;" Luke xxi. 28. They 
said, '-'Even so, Amen." 

Ver 8. I am Alpha. — Having com- 
pleted this section of the introduction, 
God, the Father, whom John had 
mentioned, ver. 4, is represented as 
speaking again, and confirming what 
had been said by his unerring and 
immutable authority. " I am Alpha 
and Omega." Alpha was the first 
letter of the Greek alphabet, and 
Omega was the last. It was the cus- 
tom of Hebrew writers to use the first 
and last of their letters to signify the 
beginning and end of things. John 
introduces the custom here ; but writ- 
ing, as he did, in Greek, he takes the 
Greek letters. U The beginning and 
the ending, i. e., I am Alpha, the begin- 
ning, and Omega, the ending ; I exist 
forever ; or, as it is in the next words, 
I am he " which is, and which was. 
and which is to come, the Almighty." 
i This is the precise phraseology ap- 
plied to the Father in ver. 4. These 
terms, in this instance, are applied to 
God, the Almighty; but in ver. 11, 
and in other places, they seem to be 
applied to Jesus Christ. The terms 



S3 



REVELATION. 



saith the Lord, which is, and 
which was, and which is to 
come, the Almighty. 

9 I John, who also am your 
brother, and companion in tribu- 
lation, and in the kingdom and 

are peculiarly those of the Apocalypse, 
occurring in the following passages 
only : Rev. i. 8, 11 ; xxi. 6 ; xxii. 13. 

Ver. 9. John. — The revelator here 
gives his name for the third time ; 
and then proceeds to describe the ap- 
pearance of the Lord Jesus to him, 
with the symbols of his power, and 
the commission received from Him 
to write what he beholds. % Your 
brother. — John was their brother in 
Christ. It will be remembered this 
book was addressed to the seven 
Christian churches in Asia ; ver. 4. 
John styles himself the brother of 
those suffering Christians ; their com- 
panion in tribulation, for he was at 
that time suffering banishment for 
his devotion to Christ ; and he was 
their companion also in the kingdom 
and patience of Jesus Christ ; see 
under ver. 6. Isle that is called Pat- 
mo s. — He was in the isle of Patmos, 
whither he had been banished, for the 
word of God, [i. e. for adhering to the 
word of God,] and for the testimony 
of Jesus Christ. Patmos is a small 
island, lying west of Asia Minor, in 
the Archipelago. It is one of the 
nineteen islands called the Sporades ; 
and is between Icaria and the prom- 
ontory of Miletus, or between Samos 
and Naxos, and is now called Patimo, 
or Patmosa. Its circuit may be twen- 
ty-five or thirty miles. There are 
different opinions in regard to the 
time of John's banishment, some sup- 
posing that it took place in the reign 
of Nero, and others in the reign of 
Domitian. That the book of Revela- 
tion was written before the destruc- 
tion of Jerusalem, we can entertain 
no doubt ; and if so, John was ban- 
ished in the reign of some emperor 
previous to that time. In the Syrian 



patience of Jesus Christ, was in 
the isle that is called Patmos, 
for the word of God, and for the 
testimony of Jesus Christ. 

10 I was in the Spirit on the 
Lord's &&y, and heard behind 

version of the Apocalypse, the title- 
page declares, that it was written in 
Patmos, whither John was sent by Nero 
Ccesar. — (Stuart on Apoc. i. 267.) 
This banishment, probably, took place 
between A. D. 55 and 60.. 

10. Lord's day. — This is the only 
instance in the Bible of the occurrence 
of this phrase. It is probable the first 
day of the week was intended. This 
was the day on which Jesus rose from 
the dead; and very early did the 
Christians commence to observe that 
as the holy-day of the week, instead 
of the Jewish Sabbath ; see Acts xx. 
7; 1 Cor. xvi. 2. Jesus was Lord 
even of the Sabbath day ; Mark ii. 
28 ; and had the authority, therefore, 
to change the day. The same prin- 
ciple is observed in the New as in 
the Old Testament, viz., that one day 
in seven is sacred ; but the day was 
changed from the seventh to the first 
day ; and the latter is called the 
Lord's day. ^[ In the spirit — that 
is, under the influence of the spirit. 
God fits his servants for the duties he 
calls them to perform. The spirit 
was given without measure unto 
Jesus ; Isa. xi. 2 ; Matt. xii. 18. 
The Christians upon the day of Pen- 
tecost were all filled with the Holy 
Ghost; Acts ii. 4; that is, such a 
measure of divine power and wisdom 
was communicated to them as to fit 
them for the duties they were called to 
perform. Paul took the same view; 
2 Cor. iii. 3 ; Eph. i. 17 ; and Peter 
likewise; 1st Epistle, iv. 14. T A 
trumpet. — The revelator was under 
the peculiar influence of God's spirit, 
upon the Christian Sabbath ; and he 
heard a great voice as of a trumpet. 
A communication of divine wisdom 
to men is described as a voice uttered 



CHAPTER I. 



83 



me a great voice, as of a trum- 
pet, 

11 Saying, I am Alpha and 
Omega, the first and the last : 
and, What thou seest, write in a 
book, and send it unto the seven 

from the throne of God ; see iv. 5 ; 
viii. 5, 13; xi. 15, 19; xviii. 4. The 
Jews were accustomed almost from 
the earliest antiquity to represent the 
voice of God by the sounding of the 
trumpet. The trumpet was an in- 
strument much used in the holy ser- 
vices of the Jews ; and a blast pre- 
ceded the solemn communications 
from the excellent glory. "And 
when the voice of the trumpet sound- 
ed long, and waxed louder and loud- 
er, Moses spake, and God answered 
him by a voice Exod. xix. 19. 
The trumpet was blown by the priests 
in the course of their services ; and, 
in certain cases, when the trumpet 
was blown, the people waited, from 
that sign, to hear the voice of God. 
The sacred writers often speak of the 
voice of the Lord ; not only in a 
metaphorical sense, as when the 
thunder is called his voice, — Job 
xxxvii. 5 ; xl. 9 ; Psa. lxxvii. 18, — but 
in the literal sense also. Instance the 
u still small voice ;" 1 Kings xix. 12 ; 
the voice from heaven at Christ's 
baptism, saying', " This is my beloved 
Son, in whom I am well pleased ;" 
Matt. iii. 17 ; Mark i. 11 ; Luke iii. 
22 ; the same voice uttering the same 
approval, at the transfiguration ; Matt, 
xvii. 5 ; Mark ix. 7 ; Luke ix. 35, 36 ; 
the voice in answer to the prayer of 
Christ, "Father, glorify thy name," 
saying, " I have both glorified it, and 
will glorify it again ;" John xii. 28. 
This voice the apostles recognized as 
having spoken ; Heb. xii. 26 ; 2 Pet. 
i. 17. The voice of Jesus addressed 
Paul from the skies; Acts ix. 4 — 7. 
Peter was also addressed in a similar 
manner ; x. 13. It was, therefore, 
perfectly correspondent to the style, 
both of the Old and New Testament, 



churches which are in Asia; 
unto Ephesus, and unto Smyr- 
na, and unto Pergamos, and 
unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, 
and unto Philadelphia, and unto 
Laodicea. 

for the revelator to speak of the com- 
munications God made to him, as 
coming in a trumpet-like voice. His 
mind was evidently on the temple, 
and on the services there. The voice 
was behind him. He saw not who 
spake, but he heard the words. "We 
know not what language was used. 
Saul testified that the voice which he 
heard spake in Hebrew ; Acts xxvi. 
14. The voice which spake to John 
certainly used a language which he 
could understand, and that was all that 
was necessary. 

11. Alpha and Omega. — These terms 
will be found explained under ver. 8. 
They are applied to both the Father 
and the Son. First and the last. — 
Meaning the same, or nearly so, as the 
Alpha and Omega, the beginning and 
the end. *[[ What thou seest, or rather, 
what thou art about to see, write in a 
book. — That is, make solemn record 
of it ; and send the communication to 
the seven churches in Asia, in par- 
ticular. Asia. — By Asia here is not 
meant the entire quarter of the world 
which at present bears that name, but 
Asia Minor, so called, — a cape, or 
peninsula, that lies between the waters 
of the Black Sea and the Mediterra- 
nean. It belongs now to the Turks. 
The scimetar gleams where the 
proudest trophies of the cross were 
once gathered. The island of Patmos 
was in its immediate vicinity. The 
seven churches are named ; but as 
we shall notice the case of each 
church, when we come to consider 
the epistle sent to each, as recorded 
in chaps, ii. and hi., we pass by them 
now without any further remarks. 
"Why these seven churches are men- 
tioned, and not others, is explained 
under verse 4. 



84 



REVELATION. 



12 And I turned to see the 
voice that spake with me. And 
being turned, I saw seven gold- 
en candlesticks ; 

12. I turned. — The voice had been 
behind him ; ver. 10. He had been 
instructed, What thou seest, or art 
about to see, write in a book. He 
turned to see who addressed him. 
% Seven golden candlesticks. — Here 
again the number seven is preserved. 
It was a sacred number, or series, made 
so in the first place, perhaps, in the 
minds of the .Tews, by the seventh 
day being established as a day of 
rest. Thus seven became a sacred 
round of days, and signified to the 
mind of the pious Hebrew the idea of 
sacred completeness and perfection. 
The revelator evidently draws several 
of his metaphors in this chapter from 
the sacred furniture of the temple. 
Moses was commanded to make a 
golden candlestick, of massive size, 
having branches, three upon a side, 
very highly ornamented ; and these, 
with the help of ihe main shaft, 
would hold seven lamps. See God's 
command to Moses to make this can- 
dlestick, Exod. xxv. 31 — 40, where 
a very particular model of it is de- 
scribed, and the manner in which it 
was made is showed; Exod. xxxvii. 
17 — 24 ; Numb. viii. 4. It stood in 
the holy place without the vail, was 
fed with pure olive oil, and was light- 
ed by the priests every evening, and 
extinguished every morning. Do we 
not have here the origin of the figure 
of the seven golden candlesticks ? 
True, they were all united in one 
main shaft ; but there were seven. 
There is a remarkable resemblance 
in Zech. iv. and v. to the style of the 
Apocalypse. The prophet saw a 
vision of a candlestick all of gold, 
with seven lamps thereon. These 
figures of speech were probably well 
known to the revelator. He, there- 
fore, employed the well-known met- 
aphor to represent the seven churches 
to whom he was to write. 



13 And in the midst of the 
seven candlesticks one like unto 
the Son of man, clothed with a 
garment down to the foot, and 

13. In the midst of the seven candle- 
sticks. — A person was seen in the 
midst of the seven candlesticks. 
When the high priest was behind 
the branches, moving about to dress 
the lamps, he appeared to an observer 
in the front to be walking in the 
midst of the seven candlesticks. 
These candlesticks represented the 
churches, whose duty it was to let 
their " light shine before men, that 
others might see their good works, 
and glorify their Father in heaven;" 
Matt. v. 16. Christians were called 
the light of the world. Jesus was the 
true light; John i. 9; and John the 
Baptist was " a burning and shining 
light ;" John v. 35 ; that is, a light 
of great brilliancy. Perfectly corre- 
spondent was it to these figures, which 
John knew his Lord had used, to rep- 
resent the seven churches by the 
seven-fold lamp-bearer in the temple. 
^[ One like unto the Son of man. — This 
language is borrowed from Daniel. 
" 1 saw in the night visions, and be- 
hold, one like the Son of man came 
with the clouds of heaven, and came 
to the Ancient of days, and they 
brought him near before him ;" vii. 
13. This was the- title which our 
Lord took to himself — " Son of man." 
How is it to be interpreted ? Does 
the word son here have the same 
force that it has in other New Testa- 
ment combinations in which it is 
used? Is the term significant of 
distinction? or does it merely import 
that Christ was a human being like 
other men? Perhaps the modesty 
and humility of Jesus inclined him to 
use this term in reference to himself, 
in preference to one of higher dis- 
tinction ; or, perhaps, he used it to sig- 
nify to the Jews that he was the per- 
sonage referred to in the prophecy of 
Daniel, Clothed with a garment. — 
He is represented as appearing in the 



CHAPTER I. 



85 



girt about the paps with a golden 
girdle. 

14 His head and his hairs 
were white like wool, as white 
as snow ; and his eyes were as 
a flame of fire ; 

15 And his feet like unto fine 



dress of a Hebrew priest, — a garment, 
or ephod, reaching down to the feet, 
and girt about the breast with a gold- 
en girdle. For an account of the 
ephod and the girdle of the priest, see 
Exod. chapters xxviii. and xxxix. 
Jesus is well described in the dress 
of the high priest, as he is the high 
priest of the Christian profession, " a 
high priest over the house of God j" 
Heb. x. 21. 

14. White like wool. — This descrip- 
tion is evidently" copied from Daniel. 
" I beheld till the thrones were cast 
down, and the Ancient of days did 
sit, whose garment was white as 
snow, and the hair of his head like 
the pure wool : his throne was like the 
fiery flame, and his wheels as burn- 
ing fire ;" Dan. vii. 9. It is Daniel's 
description of the appearance of the 
Son of man. Possibly, the whiteness 
of the hair is mentioned to add ven- 
erableness to the description. ^[ His 
eyes. — His eyes were said to be as a 
flame of fire, that is, exceedingly bril- 
liant, searching. 

15. And his feet. — The description 
of the feet is also copied from Daniel. 
In describing the eminent messenger 
that appeared to him in his vision, he 
said, " His body also was like the 
beryl, and his face as the appearance 
of lightning, and his eyes as lamps 
of fire, and his arms and his feet like 
in color to polished brass, and the 
voice of his words like the voice of a 
multitude ;" Dan. x. 6. His voice 
as the sound of many waters. — This is 
clearly taken from the verse last 
quoted. It will be seen, then, that 
the revelator sought to describe the 
appearance of the Son of man him- 
self, in the same terms in which 

8 



brass, as if they burned in a fur- 
nace ; and his voice as the 
sound of many waters. 

16 And he had in his right 
hand seven stars : and out of 
his mouth went a sharp two- 
edged sword : and his counte- 



Daniel had described the heavenly 
messenger whom he saw. His im- 
ages were not the product of any wild 
fancy of his own ; he drew them from 
the sacred books of the Jews. " As the 
sound of many waters." The figure 
here is truly grand. It is borrowed 
from the Old Testament. See Psa. 
xxix., " The voice of the Lord is 
upon the waters ; the God of glory 
thundereth ; the Lord is upon many 
waters ; the voice of the Lord is 
powerful ; the voice of the Lord is 
full of majesty." See also Psa. xciii. 
Ezekiel's metaphor is very forcible : 
" His voice was like a noise of many 
waters, and the earth shined with 
his glory." These things are met- 
aphors merely ; they have no founda- 
tions in fact ; they are the appear- 
ances which the vivid imaginations 
of the Hebrew poets supposed the 
Holy One to assume in the presence 
of men. 

16. In his right hand seven stars. — 
That is, in the hand of him who was 
in the midst of the seven candlesticks. 
It has been conjectured by some one, 
that this figure originated in the cir- 
cumstance, that the priest, in dress- 
ing and lighting the seven golden 
lamps in the holy place, carried in 
his right hand a rod with seven min- 
iature lights attached to it, intended 
for ornament, symmetry, and use. 
If so, it was natural to say he had in 
his right hand seven stars, or twink- 
ling lights. They appeared to the 
beholder like stars. What they rep- 
resented will be seen under ver. 20. 
If Sharp two-edged sword. — This seems 
at first an unnatural metaphor, — a 
sword going out of one's mouth. We 
suppose it must have originated in 



86 



REVELATION. 



nance was as the sun shineth in 
his strength. 

this way : — As the word goes out of 
the mouth, and as it is compared to 
a sword on account of its potency, 
piercing even to the heart, so the 
sword is said to go out of the mouth. 
Paul, in describing the Christian 
armor, expressly tells his brethren 
that the word of God is the " sword of 
the spirit ;" Eph. vi. 17. The author 
of the epistle to the Hebrews says, 
That " the word of God is quick and 
powerful, and sharper than any two- 
edged sword j" Heb. iv. 12. In Kev. 
xix. 15, we read that the Son of God 
riding forth to victory, showeth a 
sharp sword going out of his mouth. 
It is a proof of the spiritual nature of 
the Christian religion, that it has no 
sword except the "word of God." 
The prophecy concerning the Saviour 
in Isaiah has a similar metaphor. 
" But with righteousness shall he 
judge the poor, and reprove with 
equity for the meek of the earth : 
and he shall smite the earth with the 
rod of his mouth, and with the breath 
of his lips shall he slay the wicked 
Isaiah xi. 4. Here, instead of the 
sword, we have the rod of his mouth. 
Paul has still a different metaphor, — 
" the spirit of his mouth." " And 
then shall that wicked be revealed, 
whom the Lord shall consume with 
the spirit of his mouth, and shall 
destroy with the brightness of his 
coming;" 2 Thess. ii. 8. "These 
passages afford considerable light to 
the expression before us ; and show 
clearly the nature of the weapons by 
which our Lord and his church are to 
gain their victories ; not by the usual 
instruments of human warfare, but 
by the preaching of his word in evan- 
gelical purity and truth." — (Wood- 
house.) His countenance was as the 
sun. — It was a very ancient form of 
blessing the people : — " The Lord 
bless thee and keep thee : the Lord 
make his face shine upon thee, and be 
gracious unto thee : the Lord lift up 
his countenance upon thee and give 



17 And when I saw him, I 
fell at his feet as dead. And he 

thee peace ;" Numb. vi. 24 — 26. 
Hence comes the prayer, " Lord, lift 
thou up the light of thy countenance 
upon us ;" Psa. iv. 6. See, also, xxi. 
6 ; xlii. 5 ; xliv. 3 ; lxxxix. 15. The 
description of the angel who appear- 
ed at the sepulchre at the resurrection 
of Jesus corresponds with the de- 
scription of the Son of man. " His 
countenance was like lightning, and 
his raiment white as snow ;" Matt, 
xxviii. 3. So Christ appeared at the 
transfiguration. " And as he prayed, 
the fashion of his countenance was 
altered, and his raiment was white 
and glistering;" Luke ix. 29. It 
seems from all these facts that spir- 
itual beings, and especially visitants 
from the heavenly world, were rep- 
resented in the whitest raiment, 
and with countenances glowing like 
fire. Such is the appearance of the 
Son of man described to be in the 
verses before us. After Moses had 
communed with God upon the mount, 
his face shone with brightness. " And 
the children of Israel saw the face of 
Moses, that the skin of Moses' face 
shone : and Moses put the vail upon 
his face again, until he went in to 
speak with Him;" Exod. xxxiv. 35. 
It was perfectly in keeping, therefore, 
with Scripture metaphors, for the rev- 
elator to use the style he did. They 
were not the product of a wild and 
unguided fancy in him ; but were 
figures familiar to him, from his inti- 
mate acquaintance with the Old Tes- 
tament. 

17. Fell at his feet. — The vision 
which the revelator had of the glory 
and power of the Son of man was 
truly overwhelming. He fell like a 
man stricken dead. Similar was the 
effect on Daniel, when the glorious 
personage appeared to him, whom we 
have already mentioned. " There- 
fore I was left alone, and saw this 
great vision, and there remained no 
strength in me : for my comeliness 
was turned in me into corruption, 



CHAPTER I. 



87 



laid his right hand upon me, 
saying unto me, Fear not ; I am 
the first and the last : 

18 I am he that liveth, and 
was dead ; and behold, I am 
alive for evermore, Amen ; and 

and I retained no strength. Yet 
heard I the voice of his words : and 
when I heard the voice of his words, 
then was I in a deep sleep on my face, 
and my face toward the ground;" 
Dan. x. 8, 9. The revelator evi- 
dently copies from Daniel all along in 
this description. % He laid his right 
hand. — So Daniel: "And behold, 
a hand touched me, which set me 
upon my knees, and upon the palms 
of ray hands x. 10. If Fear not. — 
These are the same encouraging 
words which were spoken to Daniel ; 
x. 12. % First and the last. — See on 
ver. 11. 

18. Jesus bade him fear not. I am 
(said he) none other than the first 
and the last ; see i. 11, and ii. 8 ; "I 
am he that liveth and was dead 
[surely this is a description of the 
risen Jesus ;] " and am alive for ever- 
more, Amen." And have the keys. — 
Keys are an emblem of power and 
government. When Christ gave 
Peter authority in the kingdom, he 
said to him, " I will give unto thee 
the keys of the kingdom of heaven 
Matt xvi. 19. So it is said of Elia- 
kim, by the prophet, "I will clothe 
him with thy robe, and strengthen 
him with thy girdle, and 1 will com- 
mit thy government into his hand ; 
and the key of the house of David will 
I lay upon his shoulder Isaiah xxii. 
21, 22. Jesus is said to have had the 
keys of hell and of death, because he 
had power over them. *ft Of hell and 
of death. — The word hell is not to be 
understood here as signifying a place 
of punishment beyond the grave. It 
signifies the state of the dead. It is 
the Sheol of the Hebrews, the Hades 
of the Greeks ; and Hades is the word 
used in this place. To have the keys 
of hell and of death means, to have 



have the keys of hell and of 
death. 

19 Write the things which 
thou hast seen, and the things 
which are, and the things which 
shall be hereafter ; 

power over death and the grave. In 
the metaphorical style of the Hebrews, 
Sheol, or Hades, was regarded as a 
place, a dark prison, or region, sur- 
rounded with walls, and having gates. 
Jesus spoke of the gates of hades ; 
Matt. xvi. 18; and the keys of hades 
is certainly a corresponding meta- 
phor. Jesus had power over death 
and the grave. He called up Lazarus 
from the dead. He had been raised 
from the dead himself by the power 
of the Father. All at last shall be 
made alive in him. He will deliver 
them from the power of death. 
Hence he is said to have the keys 
of death and hades, or hell, the grave. 

19. Write the things. — Because 
they were of the utmost importance 
to the churches. The contents of 
this book are not light and fanciful, 
but worthy of deep attention. What 
was worthy of record, by command 
of the Son of man, is worthy of the 
attention of the Christian church. 
T[ Which thou hast seen. — There 
were three classes of facts to be re- 
corded. 1st. Those the revelator 
had seen ; 2d. Those which existed 
at that time ; and, 3d. Those which 
were about to be. It is not possible 
to divide the book of Revelation to 
conform to these divisions in all 
things, though some respect may be 
paid it. It is very necessary, how- 
ever, to remember that all which was 
described in the Apocalypse was not 
future. We shall have occasion to 
see this before we get through the 
book. That part of the book which 
is principally prophetic commences 
at the fourth chapter. " After this I 
looked, and behold, a door was open- 
ed in heaven : and the first voice 
which I heard, was as it were of 
a trumpet talking with me ; which 



REVELATION. 



20 The mystery of the seven 
stars which thou sawest in my 
right hand, and the seven golden 
candlesticks. The seven stars 
are the angels of the seven 
churches : and the seven can- 
dlesticks which thou sawest are 
the seven churches. 



said, Come up hither, and I will shew 
thee things which must be hereaf- 
ter." Compare i. 19 with iv. 1. 

20. The mystery of the seven stars. 
— We meet with the word mystery 
often in the New Testament. It does 
not signify something absolutely un- 
intelligible and incomprehensible. 
The word never bears such a sense 
in the New Testament. It sometimes 
signifies a matter hidden, or not fully 
made manifest ; but we are not to 
suppose it cannot be understood when 
it is made known. In the case before 
us, mystery is synonymous with met- 
aphor. The metaphor of the seven 
stars and seven candlesticks was 
about to be explained by the Son of 
man. For further illustration of 
this sense of the word " mystery," 
see the notes on xvii. 5, 7. % The 
seven stars. — Star metaphorically sig- 
nified a ruler ; see Numb. xxiv. 17, 
and Dan. viii. 10. The revelator 
(xxii. 16) calls Jesus "the bright 
and morning star," shining above all 
other stars. The seven stars intend- 
ed the seven angels, or pastors, of 
the seven Asiatic churches. Jesus 
held them in his right hand ; that is, 
he had them at his command ; he 
had a rightful control over them. 
T| Seven candlesticks. — These are" ex- 
plained to signify the seven churches 
mentioned in ver. 11, and to whom 
the epistles recorded in chapters ii. and 
iii. were addressed. For further, on 
this point, see the note on Rev. ii. 5. 

CHAPTER II. 

1. We have been led by the first 
chapter to expect to find, as we shall 
proceed, communications to the seven 



CHAPTER II. 

UNTO the angel of the church 
of Ephesus write : These 
things saith he that holdeth the 
seven stars in his right hand, 
who walketh in the midst of the 
seven golden candlesticks ; 



churches in Asia ; and those commu- 
nications are recorded in chapters ii. 
and iii. They may be seen as fol- 
lows : 

To the Church at Ephesus, chap. ii. ver. 1—7. 
" " Smyrna, ii. 8—11. 

" " Persamos, ii. 12—17. 
" " Thyatira, ii. 18—29. 
" " Sardis, iii. 1—6. 

" " Philadelphia, iii. 7—13. 
" " Laodicea, iii. 14—22. 

There are certain features com- 
mon to all these epistles. 1st. The 
churches are all assured that it is 
Jesus, the faithful and true witness, 
by whom they are addressed, not- 
withstanding he is described under 
different titles. 2d. They are all 
promised a reward, if they will be 
faithful unto the end, and overcome 
their enemies, or come off victorious 
in the spiritual contest in which they 
were engaged. 3d. The whole of them 
are assured that their works are 
known to him who holdeth the seven 
stars in his right hand, and walketh 
in the midst of the golden candle- 
sticks. 4th. In several cases the 
faults of the churches are clearly 
pointed out ; and, 5th. Some of them 
are praised for their good deeds. 

By Asia, in the New Testament, is 
generally meant that part of the quar- 
ter of the world bearing the name 
which we now denominate Asia Mi nor, 
and which lies between the Mediter- 
ranean on the south, and the Black 
Sea upon the north. The gospel 
was early preached here by the apos- 
tles and their co-laborers. Paul, 
after his conversion, preached Christ 
first at Damascus, afterwards at Je- 
rusalem, then throughout the coasts 
of Judea, and then to the Gentiles. 



CHAPTER IL 



89 



2 I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and 



He travelled and labored much in 
Asia Minor. Read, in the 13th of 
Acts, the account of his first labors in 
Antioch of Pisidia. He preached also 
m Iconium, Lystra, Derbe ; and travel- 
led through the regions of Pisidia and 
Pamphylia ; he carried with him into 
Asia Minor the decrees from the 
brethren at Jerusalem ; and under 
his labors, we are told, "that the 
churches were established in the 
faith, and increased in number 
daily Acts xvi. 5. See him again 
passing through Galatia and Phrygia, 
and coming to Ephesus. Here he 
remained three months, in constant 
visitations to the synagogue, disputing 
and persuading the things concerning 
the kingdom of God Acts xix. 1 — 8. 
Leaving his accustomed place at the 
synagogue in consequence of the 
hardness of some, he entered into the 
school of one Tyrannus, where he 
had a wider field of influence, and 
where he continued for two years. 
To this school many came from all 
parts of Asia Minor ; and we are 
told, that by Paul's labors in this sta- 
tion, " all they which dwelt in Asia 
heard the word of the Lord Jesus, 
both Jews and Greeks ;" Acts xix. 
10. These remarks will show that 
the gospel was spread very widely in 
Asia Minor soon after the conversion 
of Paul. 

EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS. 

1. Ephesus. — This was a very cele- 
brated city of Asia Minor, in the 
western part thereof, and on the bor- 
ders of the Egean Sea. It was about 
40 miles south of Smyrna. It was 
the capital of the province, and was 
much celebrated for a magnificent 
heathen temple, consecrated to the 
goddess Diana, which was built at 
the expense of all the provinces of 
Asia, and occupied 220 years in 
building. There were certain men 
in this city who accumulated much 
wealth by making silver shrines for 
the goddess, which were, perhaps, 
8* 



miniature representations of the idol, 
or of some symbols or forms of wor- 
ship. Paul's labors in Ephesus bid 
fair to spoil their business, and they 
incited the people to a great uproar. 
" For a certain man named Deme- 
trius, a silversmith, which made 
silver shrines for Diana, brought no 
small gain unto the craftsmen : whom 
he called together with the workmen 
of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye 
know that by this craft we have our 
wealth : moreover, ye see and hear, 
that not alone at Ephesus, but almost 
throughout all Asia, this Paul hath 
persuaded and turned away much 
people, saying, that they be no Gods 
which are made with hands. So that 
not only this our craft is in danger to 
be set at nought ; but also that the 
temple of the great goddess Diana 
should be despised, and her magnifi- 
cence should be destroyed, whom all 
Asia, and the world worshippeth. 
And when they heard these sayings 
they were full of wrath, and cried 
out, saying, Great is Diana of the 
Ephesians. And the whole city was 
filled with confusion Acts xix. 24 
— pt. of 29. Every reader of the New 
Testament will remember vividly 
Paul's farewell to the Ephesian el- 
ders, while he was on the way to make 
his last visit to Jerusalem. He called 
them to him, and referred to his 
past labors and perils among them ; 
that he had faithfully preached the 
gospel, and urged the people to re- 
pentance and faith ; that he was on his 
way to Jerusalem, where he knew 
not what would befall him, except 
that everywhere trials and dangers 
awaited him. " But none of these 
things move me (said he ;) neither 
count I my life dear unto myself, so 
that I might finish my course with 
joy, and the ministry which I have 
received of the Lord Jesus, to testify 
the gospel of the grace of God. And 
now behold, I know that ye all, 
among whom I have gone preaching 
the kingdom of God, shall see my 



90 



REVELATION. 



how thou canst not bear them which are evil ; and thou hast 



face no more. Wherefore I take you 
to record this da3 r , that I am pure 
from the blood of all men, for I have 
not shunned to declare unto you all 
the counsel of God Acts xx. 24 — 
27. From these facts it will be seen 
that Ephesus was a conspicuous 
place in the early history of the 
church, both for the labors of some 
of the most eminent Christians, and 
for the hatred and violence of the 
enemies of Christianity. A Christian 
church was formed there very soon 
after the conversion of Paul, before 
which event the gospel had been 
scarcely preached to the Gentiles at 
all. The apostle John is also said to 
have resided, at some period of his life, 
in this city. ^ Angel of the church. 
— The word angel is quite often mis- 
understood. In the minds of Chris- 
tians it stands almost exclusively for 
a class of beings higher in nature 
than men. That it sometimes signi- 
fies superhuman intelligences is true ; 
but not always. "Angel is a name 
not of nature, but of office," says 
Austin, in Leigh's Crit. Sacra. It 
ofttimes signifies a human messenger, 
legate, or agent. — (Parkhurst.) See 
Matt. xi. 10, where the Greek word is 
translated messenger. See also Mark 
i. 2. In Luke vii. 24, we read of the 
"messengers of John," i. e. angels of 
John, for the Greek is the same. A 
similar instance is found, Luke ix. 52. 
The word angel is used for any mes- 
senger whatsoever. The apostles 
were angels. Inanimate objects are 
sometimes called angels in the style of 
the Scriptures. The winds, the flames, 
scourges, wicked men, armies, when 
regarded as being sent of God for any 
purpose, are spoken of by the sacred 
writers as angels or messengers. It 
was, therefore, strictly accordant with 
the style of the rest of the Scriptures, 
to speak of the bishop, or head of a 
church, as its angel. Paul tells the 
Galatians that they received him " as 
an angel of God ;" Gal. iv. 14. These 
remarks are sufficient for our purpose 



in this place. But we shall have 
somewhat to say on the angelology 
of the Apocalypse, when we come to 
the fourth chapter. John introduces 
angels of all grades, and for all pur- 
poses, into his sublime descriptions. 
This, however, is not the place to 
classify them. It is sufficient to note 
here, that by the angel of the church 
at Ephesus was meant the bishop, 
or head of that church ■ and an epistle 
to that church was well addressed to 
the principal officer. If These things 
saith he. — John gives his authority. 
He does not speak by permission, but 
utters the instructions of another, by 
command. He who held the seven 
stars was Jesus. "He had in his 
right hand seven stars ;" i. 16. " In 
the midst of the seven candlesticks 
one like unto the Son of man ;" 13. 
It was Jesus who bade John write to 
the angel, or principal spiritual head 
of the church at Ephesus. 

2. I know thy works. — The Son 
of man, in the first place, speaks 
of those acts of the church which he 
could approve. I know thy works ; 
I know what thou hast done, and all 
that thou hast done. Thou hast been 
measurably faithful ; thy spiritual 
taste and sense have been somewhat 
preserved ; thou canst not bear them 
which are evil; thou canst not endure 
false apostles ; thou hast proved this, 
for there have been deceivers with 
thee, endeavoring to lead thee away, 
claiming to be apostles, and thou 
hast tried them and found them liars. 
That the churches of Asia, and other 
places in the vicinity, were troubled 
by false apostles in Paul's day, is 
evident from some of his epistles. 
These false apostles gloried and 
boasted about themselves. He men- 
tioned those boasters, and said, " Such 
are false apostles, deceitful workers, 
transforming themselves into the 
apostles of Christ. And no marvel ; 
for Satan himself is transformed into 
an angel of light. Therefore it is no 
great thing if his ministers also be 



CHAPTER II. 



91 



tried them which say they are 
apostles, and are not ; and hast 
found them liars : 

3 And hast borne, and hast 
patience, and for my name's 
sake hast labored, and hast not 
fainted. 



transformed as the ministers of right- 
eousness ; whose end shall be ac- 
cording to their works;" 2 Cor. xi. 
13 — 15. The same author had oc- 
casion, also, to mention these false 
apostles in his epistle to the Gala- 
tians ; i. 6—9 ; iii. 1 ; vi. 12, 13. 

3. And hast borne. — That is, " Thou 
hast endured well the trials through 
which thou hast been called to 
pass ; all that thine enemies have 
been able to do has not driven thee 
from the profession of my name. 
Thou hast borne thy trials with 
patience, without murmuring against 
God, without complaining of thy hard 
lot ; and, for my name's sake, for thy 
regard to me and my cause, thou 
hast labored and hast not fainted.'' 
This is certainly in a strain of com- 
mendation. We are to reflect that 
this church was placed in the very 
focus of idolatry, and had peculiar 
difficulties to endure on this account. 

'Although, therefore,' some fault is 
subsequently found, yet, upon the 
whole, the character which is attrib- 
uted to it is honorable. 

4. Nevertheless, I have somewhat 
against thee. — But notwithstanding 
these things I have said in thy fa- 
vor, all is not right with thee. I 
am obliged to mention one great 
fault, viz., "thou hast left thy first 
love." It is not necessary to in- 
fer from what is here said, that this 
church had formerly had a stronger 
love than other churches. Neither 
are we to think that their love to 
Christ was entirely gone. For if the 
latter were true, how shall we ac- 
count for their faith, and patience, 
and endurance of persecution for 
Christ's name? All we can suppose 



4 Nevertheless, I have some- 
what against thee, because thou 
hast left thy first love. 

5 Eemember therefore from 
whence thou art fallen, and re- 
pent, and do the first works ; 
or else I will come unto thee 



this to mean is, that the ardor of their 
love had lessened, not that their re- 
gard for Christ and his cause was en- 
tirely gone. Christianity was as good 
as ever, and as worthy as ever to be 
loved. It was a great fault in them 
to permit their attachment to Christ to 
cool in any degree. They are not 
accused of not having any love, but 
merely of having left " their first 
love." The love they bore to Chris- 
tianity was not the love they had 
when they were first brought to the 
knowledge of the truth. Our Lord 
himself prophesied that the love of 
some would wax cold, when afflic- 
tions and trials came upon them. 
" Then shall they deliver you up to 
be afflicted, and shall kill you: and 
ye shall be hated of all nations for 
my name's sake. And then shall 
many be offended, and shall betray 
one another, and shall hate one 
another. And many false prophets 
shall rise, and shall deceive many. 
And because iniquity shall abound, 
the love of many shall wax cold;" 
Matt. xxiv. 9—12. The evident 
meaning is, that they would lose 
their first love. Jesus required of 
men supreme love. He was not in 
such haste to gain converts that he 
would take them on any conditions. 
He required men to love him and his 
cause with all their heart, might, mind, 
and strength ; Matt. xxii. 37 — 40. He 
said, on a certain occasion when he 
saw great multitudes following him, 
'■' If any man come to me, and hate not 
his father, and mother, and wife and 
children, and brethren and sisters, 
yea, and his own life also, he cannot 
be my disciple;" Luke xiv. 25, 26. 
The meaning here we understand to 



92 



REVELATION. 



quickly, and will remove thy 
candlestick out of his place, ex- 
cept thou repent. 

be, they were to love Christ and his 
cause above all things, — above the 
dearest relatives, yea, above life it- 
self. They must be willing to lay 
down their lives for the cause of 
Christ, if need be. The same doc- 
trine is expressed in different phrase- 
ology in Matthew. " He that loveth 
father or mother more than me, is 
not worthy of me : and he that lov- 
eth son or daughter more than me, is 
not worthy of me •" x. 37. It will 
be seen, then, that in the primitive 
age of the church, disciples were re- 
quired to love Christ with a perfect 
love. If they had such a love, they 
would have no fear. " There is no 
fear in love ; but perfect love casteth 
out fear ■ because fear hath torment. 
He that feareth, is not made perfect in 
love ;" 1 John iv. 18. The church at 
Ephesus in the first place had perfect 
love, but the fervency of it abated. 
They were not steadfast in their affec- 
tion, and they left their first love. 
How many churches are there, even 
in this day, and in our own happy 
land, who do not even retain so high 
a standing as is here ascribed to the 
church at Ephesus ! How many have 
left their first love ! How many are 
obliged to say, 

" What peaceful hours I once enjoyed ! 
How sweet their mem'ry still ! 
But they have left an aching void 
The world can never fill." 

5. From whence thou art fallen. 
— This shows that the "somewhat" 
which the Son of man had against 
this church was no trifling matter. 
Although it was not absolutely death, 
yet it would lead to that, if not coun- 
teracted. It was a fallen state ; it 
was a state in which it would not do 
for them to remain. Their first love 
was the true love, and it should have 
been cherished. They were called on 
to remember whence they had fallen ; 
to look back to their first condition as 
Christians ; to sigh for that state 



6 But this thou hast, that 
thou hatest the deeds of the 
Nicolaitanes, which I also hate. 

again ; to repent of their fall, and to 
do their first works, — the works which 
marked their early course. This was 
very important. ^[ Will remove thy 
candlestick. — This figure is borrowed 
from the preceding chapter. The 
revelator had seen one like vmto the 
Son of man in the midst of the seven 
golden candlesticks ; i. 13 ; and we are 
told that these seven candlesticks were 
the emblems of the seven churches • 
20. The removal of the candle- 
stick, therefore, seems to be put for 
the final death and extinguishment 
of the church. Its fight should ex- 
pire. It should no longer hold its 
place among its sister churches. "We 
are told that this rebuke of the Lord 
Jesus had the desired effect. We 
should judge this from Paul's epistle 
to them. The testimony of Ignatius 
is to the same effect, given imme- 
diately before his martyrdom, and 
some years after the Apocalypse was 
written. He states that when other 
Asiatic churches were becoming cor- 
rupt, that of Ephesus was flourishing 
in a pure faith and practice. — (Epis. 
ad Ep. sec. 9 ; Euseb. Hist. Eccl. 
lib. iii. 26; iv. 7.) This church con- 
tinued for some ages in high account 
among the churches of Christendom ; 
but in time gradually sank into that 
corruption of doctrine, which has 
darkened all the churches of that 
region. Since the desolation of the 
coast of Asia Minor by Turkish tyr- 
anny in the 14th century, Ephesus 
has become little better than a heap 
of ruins. 

6. Hatest the deeds of the Nicolai- 
tanes. — The faults and good deeds of 
this church were both freely named. 
Although they had permitted the fer- 
vor of their first love to abate, yet 
there was one thing they had cher- 
ished, viz., hatred of the deeds of the 
Nicolaitanes. There is some doubt 
what this name is derived from. The 
sect itself unquestionably existed in 



CHAPTER II. 



n 



7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith 



the days when the Apocalypse was 
written; but who they were named 
for is a harder matter to determine. 
Some writers suppose they were the 
followers of " Nicholas, a proselyte 
of Antioch," mentioned in Acts vi. 5. 
It is thought, with how much reason 
we cannot determine, that he fell into 
certain evil practices and errors, which 
were embraced by those who bore his 
name. The sect unquestionably was 
impure. Irenseus alleged against 
them that they held to a community 
of women, and were guilty of eating 
things offered to idols. Too much 
credit, however, should not be given 
to the charges which some of the 
fathers bring against the heretics. If 
we go not at all beyond the divine 
record, we can say with certainty, 
that they were a sect which existed 
in the revelator's day, and that their 
deeds were, and ought to have been, 
detestable in the sight of good Chris- 
tians. The words "which I also 
hate," prove that their deeds were 
probably even more heinous in the 
sight of the Son of man than in the 
sight of the partially apostatized 
church of Ephesus. 

7. He that hath an ear. — The sig- 
nification is, he that hath a disposition 
to hear, let him hear what the Spirit 
saith unto the churches. There were 
some who did not desire to hear. To 
hear, in the language of the Scrip- 
tures, is to " give ear," to "incline the 
ear." Some would not hear, and 
their ears were said to be "uncircum- 
cised;" Jer. vi. 10. Stephen referred 
to this in his address to the rebellious 
Jews, on the day of his martyrdom. 
He seems almost to quote from Jere- 
miah : "Ye stiff-necked, and uncir- 
cumcised in heart and ears, ye do 
always resist the Holy Ghost: as 
your fathers did, so do ye ;" Acts vii. 
51. A deaf ear is an ear that cannot 
hear, or will not ; but an open ear is 
one that is ready to hear ; Isa. xlviii. 
8. He that hath an ear to hear, that 
is, an open ear, or a disposition to 



listen, let him hear what the Spirit 
saith unto the churches. This refers 
to the whole communication of the 
Spirit to the churches ; not to that 
which precedes only, nor to that 
which succeeds only. All of it was 
worthy of attention. ^ To him that 
over cometh. — This phraseology is pe- 
culiarly like the apostle John. He 
used the word overcometh for Chris- 
tian perseverance and triumph. He 
learned it of his Master ; John xvi. 
33. For John's use, see 1 Epis. ii. 
13, 14 ; iv. 4 ; v. 4, 5 ; and Apoc. ii. 
7, 11, 17, 26 ; iii. 5, 12, 21. No New 
Testament writer is distinguished for 
this phraseology like John. The use 
of such language shows that the duty 
of the Christian, especially in the 
days of the revelator, was considered 
a contest. He was engaged in a 
struggle with enemies. This was 
true of all the Christian churches in 
the beginning. Paul said to these 
Ephesians, •'< Put on the whole armor 
of God, that ye ma"y be able to stand 
against the wiles of the devil. For 
we wrestle not against flesh and blood, 
but against principalities, against 
powers, against the rulers of the 
darkness of this world, against spirit- 
ual wickedness in high places ;" vi. 
11, 12. He represents them as en- 
gaged in a contest, or struggle ; and 
he tells them that with the shield of 
faith they shall be able to "quench 
all the fiery darts of the wicked ;" 16. 

Tree of life. — This was the reward. 
" To him that overcometh will I give 
to eat of the tree of life." The meta- 
phor doubtless is drawn from the 
account of Eden, in the book of Gen- 
esis, where we first read of "the tree 
of life." " And the Lord God planted 
a garden eastward in Eden ; and 
there he put the man whom he had 
formed. And out of the ground made 
the Lord God to grow every tree that 
is pleasant to the sight, and good for 
food ; the tree of life also in the 
midst of the garden, and the tree of 
knowledge of good and evil Gen. 



94 



REVELATION. 



unto the churches ; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of 



ii. 8, 9 ; see also 22, 24. Solomon 
employs the metaphor repeatedly in 
the book of Proverbs ; iii. 18 ; xi. 30 ; 
xiii. 12 ; xv. 4. In the New Testa- 
ment we read nowhere of the "tree 
of life " except in the Apocalypse. 
If hi the midst of the paradise of God. 
— This is an exact copy from the de- 
scription of the garden of Eden in 
Genesis, where we read that the tree 
of life was in the midst of the garden. 
In describing the New Jerusalem, 
John says, "In the midst of the street 
of it, and on either side of the river, 
was there the tree of life, which bare 
twelve manner of fruits, and yielded 
her fruit every month ; and the leaves 
of the tree were for the healing of the 
nations;" xxii. 2. Again, "Blessed 
are they that do his commandments, 
that they may have right to the tree 
of life, and may enter in through the 
gates into the city;" 14. To eat of 
the tree of life was the reward of 
overcoming in the Christian warfare. 
The whole is metaphorical ; and de- 
scribes the rich blessings of the gos- 
pel. The tree of life is said to be in 
the midst of the paradise of God, or 
New Jerusalem. He who fell away 
from the purity of the gospel, could 
not, of course, eat of the fruit of this 
tree ; but those who maintained their 
devotedness to God and his truth, 
enjoyed continually its fruit. This is 
the same as the fruit of the Spirit ; 
Gal. v. 22, 23. None could partake 
of this fruit, except such as overcame 
the world. The lesson taught is, that 
he who would enjoy the full advan- 
tages of Christianity, or, in other 
words, " eat of the tree of life, which 
is in the midst of the paradise of 
God," must be faithful at all times, 
and thus overcome the world. 

Paradise. — This is the only in- 
stance of this word in the Apocalypse. 
It occurs in two other places in the 
New Testament, viz., Luke xxiii. 
43 ; and 2 Cor. xii. 4. It is a very 
ancient word, and is neither of He. 
brew nor Greek origin, but Persian. 



It signified originally, a beautiful gar- 
den, park, or inclosure. In the Sep- 
tuagint, the word is used to signify 
the garden of Eden. In the Saviour's 
time the Jews had it in common use 
to signify the state of departed souls, 
— a region in hades, the state of the 
dead. It is another name for what is 
called " Abraham's bosom." That it 
belonged to hades is evident from the 
following facts : It is said that Christ, 
at his death, w r ent to hades, or hell, 
that is, the state of the dead. At his 
resurrection he was said to leave that 
state or place. Peter applied to him 
the prophecy, " Thou wilt not leave 
my soul in hell, neither wilt thou 
suffer thy Holy One to see corrup- 
tion ;" Acts ii. 27. When our Lord 
was on the cross, and the dying thief 
(thinking perhaps that Christ would 
deliver himself from his enemies, and 
establish his kingdom on earth) said 
to him, " Lord, remember me when 
thou comest in thy kingdom," Jesus 
replied, and cut off all the thief's hopes 
of deliverance, that they were both on 
that day to,die. " To-day shalt thou 
be with me in paradise ;" to-day shall 
we both enter the state of the dead. 
What Peter called hades, or hell, Jesus 
called paradise. The Jews believed 
in distinctions in the conditions of 
men in that state ; but there is no 
proof that our Lord meant to recog- 
nize those distinctions. When he 
spoke of "Abraham's bosom," Luke 
xvi. 22, it is not to be supposed he 
referred to the immortal state, but 
to the communion which the true 
believer had with the faith of Abra- 
ham; and it is to be understood as 
parallel with the words, " Many shall 
come from the east and west, and 
shall sit down with Abraham, and 
Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of 
heaven;" Matt. viii. 11; Luke xiii. 
28, 29. The whole figure is designed 
to show this one thing only, that 
believers sat down to the same gospel 
feast of which the patriarchs by faith 
partook. This was a strong argu- 



CHAPTER II. 



95 



the tree of life, which is in the 
midst of the paradise of God. 

merit to present to a Jew. As the 
Christians at Ephesus, who labored 
and struggled in the Christian con- 
test, and overcame, were admitted to 
the richest privileges of the gospel, to 
an intimate communion with God, 
they were supposed to have arrived 
at that state to which Adam, in the 
garden, was forbidden to go. He had 
a right to every tree of the garden but 
two, viz., the "tree of knowledge," 
and the "tree of life." By partaking 
_ of the former, he violated his Maker's 
command ; and lest he should partake 
of the latter, and live forever, he was 
expelled from the garden ; Gen. iii. 
22 — 24. Now it was declared of the 
faithful Christians, that they had ever- 
lasting life; John iii. 36; v. 24; 
1 John iii. 14. The unbeliever re- 
mained in death. He had not par- 
taken of the " tree of life." John 
dwells much on this fact, that the 
believer had everlasting life. " For 
the bread of God is he which cometh 
down from heaven, and giveth life 
unto the world ;" John vi. 33. Again, 
" I am that bread of life. Your fathers 
did eat manna in the wilderness, and 
are dead. This is the bread which 
cometh down from heaven, that a 
man may eat thereof, and not die. I 
am the living bread which came down 
from heaven ; if any man eat of this 
bread, he shall live forever ;" Idem. 
48 — 51. Adam and Eve, as we 
have shown, were refused that inti- 
mate communion with God signified 
by eating of " the tree of life." John, 
who sought to seize on almost every 
glowing and striking metaphor of the 
Old Testament, took up this one of 
the " tree of life in the midst of the 
paradise of God;" and wishing to 
exalt the faithful Christian, in his 
description, to the highest degree of 
bliss, he carries him where Adam 
was not permitted to go, and lets him 
eat of that tree whose fruit Adam did 
not taste. But, as we have said, the 
whole is metaphorical, and describes 



8 And unto the angel of the 
church in Smyrna, write ; These 

in a gorgeous and enchanting man- 
ner, the bliss which the faithful 
Christian had in his soul. 

EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH AT SMYRNA. 

8. Smyrna. — "We will look first at 
its present condition. Smyrna was the 
place still known by that name. It 
is an ancient and celebrated city and 
seaport of Asia Minor, the greatest 
emporium of Western Asia, on the 
west side of the Meles, a stream 
which, although of small dimensions, 
has acquired an immortality of re- 
nown, at the bottom of a gulf of its 
own name. The whole seven of the 
churches mentioned in the Apoca- 
lypse were in the 'western part of 
Asia Minor, and lay within a circle 
of about one hundred and fifty miles 
in diameter. There is not one 
within whose precincts the trumpet 
of the gospel now gives so distinct 
and certain a sound. While in this 
city Mohammed is acknowledged in 
twenty mosques, and Jews assemble 
in several synagogues, the faith of 
the Messiah is taught in an Arme- 
nian, five Greek, and two Roman 
Catholic churches, and in two Protes- 
tant chapels, one connected with the 
English, the other with the Dutch 
consulate. — See Elliott's Travels. It 
was a very ancient city. Christianity 
flourished there early ; but the place 
is mentioned in Scripture only in 
Rev. i. 11, and ii. 8. The famous 
Polycarp was one of its earliest, if 
not, in fact, its earliest bishop. It is 
believed by some he was appointed 
by John, the author of the Apoca- 
lypse, with whom he was in part con- 
temporary. He suffered martyrdom 
here at a very advanced age, in con- 
sequence of his devotion to the Chris- 
tian religion. He had reason to ex- 
pect it from the warnings given to 
the church at Smyrna in the Apoca- 
lypse. This church sent her bishops 
to the councils of the Christian church 



REVELATION. 



things saith the first and the 
last, which was dead, and is 
alive ; 



for many centuries ; but sunk under 
the common catastrophe of maritime 
Asia in the 14th century. Having 
continued a mart for European traf- 
fic, it is to this day a city of consid- 
erable population, and contains peo- 
ple of many nations. The angel 
of the church. — This officer has been 
described under ii. 1. The word 
angel is usually understood to sig- 
nify a heavenly messenger, a super- 
human being. Some have thought, 
therefore, it were better to translate 
the Greek word by messenger here. 
But Dr. Campbell has shown that 
messenger would, render the expression 
ambiguous, if not improper. The 
messenger of societies (in like man- 
ner as of individuals) is one sent by 
them, not to them. In this, and some 
other instances, the Greek angelos is 
to be understood as denoting a min- 
ister, or servant employed in any 
charge of importance and dignity, 
though not a message. It would, 
therefore, be no deviation from what 
is included in the Hellenistic sense 
of the word, if in all the cases in 
which we read of the angel of the 
church it were rendered president. 
^[ The first and the last. — The same 
glorious personage addressed the an- 
gel of the church in Smyrna who had 
addressed the angel of the church at 
Ephesus, only different titles are em- 
ployed. — See i. 17, 18. It was evi- 
dently the Son of man, whose death 
and resurrection were both referred 
to. How must that church have been 
impressed with the words, coming, as 
they did, from such a source — how 
much must they have been comforted 
by them in view of the persecutions 
by which they were threatened. 

9. I know thy works. — Jesus 
knew their works, as he did those of 
the Ephesian church ; ii. 2. He 
knew all that they had done. Their 
zeal, their remissness, their fidelity; 



9 I know thy works, and 
tribulation, and poverty, (but 
thou art rich,) and I know the 



in fact, whatever they had felt, or 
had done, was all know T n to him. 
Their tribulations, all that they had 
suffered, was known to him. Their 
poverty was known to him. They 
were not rich in this world's goods ; 
but there was a very important sense 
in which they were rich. They were 
"rich toward God;" Luke xii. 21. 
The poor may be " rich in faith ;" 
Jas. ii. 5. A man who believes in 
Christ, and who does his duty faith- 
fully at all times, is rich, whatever 
his worldly condition may be. Take 
Moses as an example. He was rich 
toward God. He " refused to be 
called the son of Pharaoh's daughter ; 
choosing rather to suffer affliction 
with the people of God, than to enjoy 
the pleasures of sin for a season ; 
esteeming the reproach of Christ 
greater riches than the treasures in 
Egypt : for he had respect unto the 
recompense of the reward ;" Heb. xi. 
24 — 26. / know the blasphemy. — 
The Son of man, after having stated 
that he knew the works of the church, 
proceeds to say that he knew the 
works of their enemies also. He 
knew the blasphemy of the false 
Jews. Blasphemy is the worst kind 
of evil speaking. It is railing against 
God. The blasphemy against the 
Holy Spirit was the attributing of the 
miracles of Jesus, w T hich were per- 
formed by the agency of that Spirit, 
to Beelzebub ; See Mark iii. 29, 30. 
It was the Jews who committed this 
sin, though we know not that it is the 
sin which is specially referred to in 
the verse before us. % Which say 
they are Jews. — These were probably 
Jews in the outward sense, for there 
were many in Smyrna ; but they were 
not Jews in the true sense. They 
kept up the worship of the synagogue, 
but it was so polluted, that the syn- 
agogue was called the synagogue of 
Satan. They are not all Israel, who 



CHAPTER H, 



97 



blasphemy of them which say 
they are Jews, and are not, but 
are the synagogue of Satan. 

are of Israel ; Eom. ix. 6 ; neither 
because they are the seed of Abra- 
ham, are they all children ; 7. Na- 
thanael was an Israelite indeed, i-n 
whom was no guile ; John i. 47. 
St. Paul says, "For he is not a Jew, 
which is one outwardly; neither is 
that circumcision, which is outward 
in the flesh : but he is a Jew which 
is one inwardly ; and circumcision is 
that of the heart, in the spirit, and 
not in the letter ; whose praise is not 
of men, but of God ;" Rom. ii. 28, 29. 
The Jews in Smyrna were Jews by 
birth and profession, but they were 
not what Jews ought to have been. 
They were banded together in the 
service of Satan, and hence were 
said to be "the synagogue of Satan," 
as Christians are said to be the house, 
or church, of the living God. They 
were the instigators in all persecutions 
against the Christians. They stirred 
up the people of heathen cities against 
the primitive preachers of Christian- 
ity. In the most of cases, where we 
read of the persecutions of the apos- 
tles, we find that the Jews were the 
instigators and ringleaders in the 
matter. Nevertheless, they were very 
punctual in their observance of the 
rites of the synagogue. It was a 
strange mixture of synagogue service 
with the service of Satan ; they were, 
therefore, called the " synagogue of 
Satan." 

10. Fear none of those things. — 
The Lord Jesus refers to the sufferings 
that were about to come upon Chris- 
tians. These wicked Jews, the syn- 
agogue of Satan, it was well known 
would persecute them. The Jews 
had been the persecutors of the Chris- 
tians from the time the gospel was 
first preached ; and after the death 
of the Lord Jesus, when the apostles, 
under the great commission, went out 
to preach the gospel in all the world, 
they were met and buffeted by the 
9 



10 Fear none of those things 
which thou shalt suffer. Be- 
hold, the devil shall cast some 

Jews. The Jews were scattered 
throughout all cities ; and, as has 
been said, were the instigators and 
ringleaders in all persecutions. See 
2 Thess. ii. 14, 15 ; and especially 
Acts xvii. 5, 6, 7, 8, 13. They had 
always been instrumental in casting 
the Christians into prison. They im- 
prisoned Peter and John : Acts v. 18, 
19, 21. Saul, before his conversion, 
was a zealous Pharisee, and assisted 
in haling the Christians to prison ; 
Acts viii. 3; xxvi. 10. The severity 
of the Roman officers towafds the 
Christians was greatly pleasing to 
the Jews; Acts xii. 3, 4. ^[ The 
devil shall cast. — And what devil was 
this which should cast the Christians 
into prison, other than the Jews, the 
synagogue of Satan, who had been 
mentioned in the preceding verse? 
The word diabolos, here rendered 
devil, signifies accuser, slanderer. It 
is put for any adversary : and is of- 
ten used metaphorically in the New 
Testament. The heathens believed 
in a principal leader among their 
spirits of darkness ; and their notions 
on this subject, especially after the 
return from the Babylonish captivity, 
infected the Jews. The metaphors 
of the Apocalypse, in some cases, are 
drawn from these opinions : not to 
recognize the opinions as true, any 
more than Isaiah meant to acknowl- 
edge the heathen notions of hades to 
be true, in his sublime apostrophe to 
the king of Babylon ; xiv. 9 et seq. 
Dr. 3Iacknight, in treating on the 
parable of Dives and Lazarus, says, 
'•'If from these resemblances it is 
thought the parable is formed on the 
Grecian mythology, it will not at all 
follow that our Lord approvtd of ivhat 
the common people thought or spake 
concerning those matters, agreeably to 
the notions and language of the 
Greeks. In parabolical discourses, 
provided the doctrines inculcated are 



REVELATION. 



of you into prison, that ye may be tried ; and ye shall have 



strictly true, the terms in which they 
are inculcated may be such as are 
most familiar to the ears of the vul- 
gar, and the images made use of 
such as they are best acquainted 
with." — (Par. and Com. on Luke 
xvi.) The principle of interpretation 
which Dr. Macknight here lays down 
is evidently sound ; and we shall 
have occasion to refer to it again in 
the course of this work. The word 
diabolos is often put for a human ad- 
versary in the New Testament, and 
is sometimes used as a metaphor for 
a ruling, persecuting power. Let 
the following facts be considered : — 
Jesus called Judas, diabolos, a devil. 
"Have not I chosen you twelve, and 
one of you is a devil ? " John vi. 70. 
Wicked people are called the children 
of the devil, in the same sense that 
the poor and sorrowful are called the 
children of sorrow and want. Thus 
Ely mas was the child of the devil ; 
Acts xiii. 10. The word diabolos is 
put for the opponents of the Christian 
religion in the days of Christ and his 
apostles. Hence, when Paul exhorted 
the Ephesians to " put on the whole 
armor of God, that they might be 
able to stand against the wiles of 
diabolos," he explained immediately 
his meaning, by saying, "For we 
wrestle not against flesh and blood, 
but against principalities, against 
powers, against the rulers of the dark- 
ness of this age, against spiritual wick- 
edness in high places;" Eph. vi. 11, 
12. Paul exhorted the wives of 
Christians to be grave, not (diaboloi) 
devils, but sober, faithful in all 
things; 1 Tim. iii. 11. The trans- 
lators of the common version have 
rendered the word here, not devils, 
but slanderers. The word devil sig- 
nifies a wicked human being. Hence 
Paul says in another place, speaking 
of the prevalence of wickedness, that 
" men shall be lovers of their own 
selves, covetous, boasters, proud, 
blasphemers, disobedient to parents, 
unthankful, unholy, without natural 



affection, truce-breakers, devils (di 
aboloi ;) " 2 Tim. iii. 3. In the com- 
mon version it is translated false ac- 
cusers ; and in Titus ii. 3, the word 
diaboloi is translated, not devils, but 
false accusers. We have said before, 
that the opposers of the early Chris- 
tians were called the devil. So in the 
verse before us : "Fear none of those 
things which thou shalt suffer; be- 
hold, the devil shall cast some of you 
into prison, that ye may be tried ; and 
ye shall have tribulation ten days." 
Now this is ho Diabolos, THE 
DEVIL ; and this is the designation 
given by the revelator to the leading 
persecutors of the church. So the 
great dragon, that old serpent, called 
the devil and Satan, is nothing more 
than exalted human wicked power, 
— the exalted enemies of the church ; 
and when that devil is chained in the 
bottomless pit, it represents the re- 
straining of that power. — See Rev. 
xii. 9, 12; xx. 2, 10. From the 
whole, it seems evident, that by the 
devil is intended the leading perse- 
cuting power ; or, as Paul hath it, 
the persecuting principalities and 
powers, and the spiritual wickedness 
in high places; Eph. vi. 11, 12. In 
what other sense can we understand 
the word devil in the case before us ? 
He cast the Christians into prison ? 
Did not the leading persecuting power 
do this? It may be said, in reply, 
truly the Jews, the persecuting power, 
were the devil's agents. He tempted 
them to do it ; and for that reason he 
is said to do it. To this, we reply : 
We learn from St. James, that when 
men are tempted, they are not to 
ascribe the temptation to anything 
beyond themselves. "Every man is 
tempted when he is drawn away of 
his own lust and enticed;" Jas. i. 14. 
If men will have due guard over their 
own appetites and passions, they need 
not, according to St. James, fear any 
other source of temptation. Lust 
bringeth forth sin. and sin bringeth 
forth death. If That ye may be tried. 



CHAPTER II. 



89 



Be thou 



faithful unto death, and I will 



tribulation ten days. 



— That is, proved, whether ye are 
able to endure affliction. The Chris- 
tians were referred to the prophets as 
examples of patience in the midst of 
affliction ; James v. 10. The church 
in Smyrna was, by God's permission, 
to suffer much affliction. God al- 
lowed this to try them, as gold is 
tried by being melted in the furnace. 
Job said, " When he hath tried me, I 
shall come forth as gold;" xxiii. 10. 
See also Dan. xii. 10 ; Zech. xiii. 9. 
" The fire shall try every man's work, 
of what sort it is;" 1 Cor. iii. 13. 
Peter speaks of this rial, in his epis- 
tle to the strangers scattered through 
the provinces of Asia Minor. " That 
the trial of your faith, being much 
more precious than of gold that per- 
isheth, though it be tried with fire, 
might be found unto praise, and hon- 
or, and glory, at the appearing of 
Jesus Christ ;" 1 Epis. i. 7 ; iv. 12. 
See also Rev. iii. 10. Ten days. 

— That exactly ten days are here 
meant, we should not suppose would 
be contended for by any one. The 
word days is used indefinitely in the 
Scriptures, and numbers are certainly 
so used in the Apocalypse. We un- 
derstand by this phrase, "You shall 
have a brief season of tribulation." 
Ten seems to be put for a small 
number. " And her brother and her 
mother said, Let the damsel abide with 
us a few days, at the least ten ; after 
that she shall go ;" Gen. xxiv. 55. 
The evident import of the phrase is, a 
short time. See Daniel i. 12 — 15. 

Unto death. — But notwithstanding 
the time was short, it might result in 
death. The early Christians were 
frequently called on to suffer death for 
the cause of Christ; but neither life 
nor death could separate them from 
the love of God; Rom. viii. 38, 39. 
Paul says, the apostles, as it were, 
were appointed to death ; 1 Cor. iv. 
9. Crown of life. — To encourage 
the members of the church at Smyrna 
to be " faithful unto death," the reve- 
lator promises them that they shall be 



rewarded with a " crown of life." It 
is an interesting question, what is in- 
tended by the "crown of life? " The 
expression occurs twice only in the 
Scriptures, viz., in James i. 12, and 
in the passage before us. By care- 
fully consulting the Scriptures, it will 
be seen that the figure of the crown 
is used to signify dignity, honor, 
glory. When Job was stripped of 
his glory, he said, " He hath taken 
the crown from my head;" Job xix. 
9. Solomon says, Wisdom shall " give 
to thy head an ornament of grace ; a 
crown of glory shall she deliver to 
thee; Prov. iv. 9. Here the crown 
was the glory which Wisdom conferred. 
So " a virtuous woman is a crown to 
her husband," (Prov. xii. 4,) i. e., she 
confers dignity and honor upon him. 
See also xiv. 18, "The prudent are 
crowned with knowledge," and xvi. 
31, "The hoary head is a crown of 
glory, if it be found in the way of 
righteousness." No one will think 
of looking exclusively to the immor- 
tal state to find the crown mentioned 
in these instances. In the Grecian 
games, from which Paul drew his 
figure of the crown, (see 1 Cor. ix. 
25,) the victor was crowned with 
flowers or foliage. This was a cor- 
ruptible crown, i. e., it would fade 
away ; but the Christian's crown is 
incorruptible, and fadeth not away. 
Now, what is the Christian's crown? 
It is his Christian virtues and graces ; 
for it is these surely which are his 
honor, dignity and glory; and such 
things can never fade. And where 
does the Christian have this crown ? 
— Answer : Wherever he is found 
faithful. His faithfulness is a crown 
of glory to him. Paul had his crown 
in this life, as every other good man 
has. He said to the Philippians, 
ye are " my joy and crown, so stand 
fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved ;" 
iv. 1. He asked the Thessalonians, 
on one occasion, what his crown was ; 
and let us look well to the answer : 
" For what is our hope, or joy, or 



100 



REVELATION. 



give thee a crown of life. 



crown of rejoicing ? Are not even ye 
[our crown] in the presence of our 
Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?" 
He then answers, " Ye are our glory 
and joy." See 1 Thess. ii. 19, 20. 
The converts made to Christ through 
Paul's instrumentality were an honor 
and glory and joy to him — they were 
his crown. When he drew towards 
the end of life, he reflected more 
deeply upon this crown. Christ, he 
thought, would confirm it to him ; 
and sanction his claim to honor in 
the church. " I have fought a good 
fight, I have finished my course, I 
have kept the faith : Henceforth, 
there is laid up for me a crown of 
righteousness, which the Lord, the 
righteous Judge, shall give me at 
that day, and not to me only, but 
unto all them also that love his ap- 
pearing ;" 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8. His 
crown was his faithfulness and the 
success of his labors in the church — 
these were glory and honor to him. 
He could not be deprived of that 
crown. True, it was not then so 
generally acknowledged an honor to 
be a faithful Christian as it was af- 
terwards, when Christ came to exalt 
his church, and cast down his foes ; 
— and hence it is said, the Lord 
would give it to him at that day. 
Peter said to the elders, " When the 
chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall 
receive a crown of glory that fadeth 
not away." This was certainly on 
the earth, where the chief Shepherd 
appeared ; and when he came, the 
merits of his followers were made 
manifest. The term " crown of life" 
is to be explained on the principles 
here laid down : it was the dignity, 
glory, honor of the Christian life ; which 
would be made to appear to be truly 
glorious and honorable at the coming 
of the Lord, when every man should 
be rewarded according to his works. 
And if any man died before the com- 
ing of Christ, he would not lose the 
crown, provided he remained faithful 
unto death. Paul, Peter, and the 



11 He that hath an ear, let 



rest of the apostles, Stephen, and 
many others, wear this crown of life 
now. We see it on their heads ; it is 
radiant with glory, like a crown of 
stars ; it can never fade away. Paul 
tells us explicitly when he expected 
to have this crown. " Henceforth 
there is laid up for me a crown of 
righteousness, which the Lord, the 
righteous Judge, shall give me 
(when ?) at that day ; and not to me 
only, but unto all them also that love 
his appearing." Here are two cir- 
cumstances which assist us to a right 
understanding of the subject, viz., the 
phrase that day, and the appearing of 
Christ. He says, in another place, 
that God shall judge the quick and 
the dead (i. e., those who were dead 
in sins and those who had been 
quickened out of their sins ; see Eph. 
ii. 1) "at his appearing and his 
kingdom;" 2 Tim. iv. 1. Does not 
this language evidently apply to 
Christ's appearing in power to set up 
his kingdom at the end of the law ? 
It was then that Christ was to judge 
men ; see Matt. xvi. 27 ; Mark viii. 
38 ; ix. 1. And that event certainly 
was to take place during the lifetime 
of some who were on the earth when 
the Saviour spake ; Matt. xvi. 28. 
His appearing then took place. " Then 
shall appear the sign of the Son of 
man in heaven;" Matt. xxiv. 30. 
And in order to impress on those who 
listened, the solemn fact that the ap- 
pearing would take place in that gen- 
eration, Jesus adds, ver. 34, " Verily, 
I say unto you, this generation shall 
not pass till all these things be ful- 
filled." Peter connects the crown 
with Christ's appearing, in the same 
manner with Paul. " When the chief 
Shepherd shall appear, ye shall re- 
ceive a crown of glory that fadeth 
not away ;" 1 Peter v. 4. We have 
now put these facts into a form in 
which they will, we think, be under- 
stood. The crown was certainly to be 
conferred at the appearing of Christ ; 
and the appearing of Christ was at 



CHAP r J 

him hear what the Spirit saith 

the fall establishment of his kingdom, 
at the end of the Mosaic law. 

It is not supposed that all the 
Christians were then personally pres- 
ent before the Son of God. He was 
not personally present himself on earth 
at that time. It was not an outward, 
visible, tangible crown which the 
faithful Christians were to receive; 
but it was then to be made manifest 
to the world, by the establishment of 
the gospel and the overthrow of the 
Jewish nation and religion, that the 
Christians were right ; that they had 
labored in a just cause ; that they had 
fought a good fight ; that their stead- 
fastness was not in vain. This was 
a crown, full of brilliant gems. They 
had been cast down and trodden 
under foot. Their enemies had tri- 
umphed over them. They desired no 
other crown than to be fully vindi- 
cated before the world, — their course 
approved, — their doctrine establish- 
ed, — the faith they had kept made tri- 
umphant. That was a crown indeed ! 

What a bright halo of glory has 
encircled the head of Paul (to make 
him the representative of many others) 
ever since the appearing and king- 
dom of the Lord Jesus. He has 
been honored, and forever will be 
honored, by the church of God. His 
name has been written on her ban- 
ners in letters of light. Although so 
great a persecutor before his conver- 
sion, although born out of due time, 
yet he has been associated with Jesus 
and the apostles in the affections of 
the church universal. His crown was 
not personal aggrandizement, for that 
his soul did not desire ; but it was the 
high satisfaction of standing vindi- 
cated before the world as having kept 
the true faith, as having defended a 
righteous cause, as having fought a 
good fight, as having labored for the 
advantage of the world. 

1 1 . He that hath an ear. — This 
shows that what the revelator had 
uttered was worthy of deep con- 
sideration. It was not for the un- 
9# 



ER II. 101 

unto the churches ; He that 



thinking multitude; they would not 
discern its import; it was for those 
who had ears to hear, — i. e., ears 
that were open to hear. Such were 
called upon particularly to take notice 
of what was said. Dr. Campbell 
says "that Jesus Christ never em- 
ploys the words, 1 He that hath ears 
to hear,' &c, in the introduction or 
conclusion of any plain moral instruc- 
tions, but always after some parable, 
or prophetic declarations figuratively 
expressed." — Dis. II., part iii., sec. 5. 
IT What the Spirit saith. — John spoke 
by the spirit. The spirit of the risen 
Son of God was with him to guide 
him into all truth ; Rev. i. 10. This 
spirit was " the spirit of truth," 
"whom the world cannot receive, 
because it seeth him not, neither 
knowetk him ;" Johnxiv.17. %Over- 
cometh. — The style here, as we have 
had occasion to show before, is pecu- 
liarly that of the apostle John ; 1 
Epis. v. 4, 5. ^[ Second death. — This 
phrase occurs nowhere except in the 
book of Revelation ; see ii. 11 ; xx. 
6, 14 ; xxi. 8 ; and these are all the 
instances of its occurrence. And 
what is the "second death?" We 
shall give a direct answer, in the lan- 
guage of Scripture. Rev. xx. 14 : 
" And death and hell were cast into 
the lake of fire. This is the second 
death." And again, in Rev. xxi. 8 : 
"But the fearful and unbelieving, 
&c, . . . shall have their part in 
the lake which burneth with fire 
and brimstone, which is the second 
death." Here we feel confident, that 
to be cast into the lake of fire and 
brimstone was the second death. The 
revelator, at the time he mentioned 
the " second death," in the case 
before us, had been speaking of the 
rebellious and persecuting Jews, "the 
synagogue of Satan." That the 
Jews as a nation were cast into the 
lake of fire when their city was 
destroyed the second time, will be 
evident to every one who will read 
Ezek. xxii. 18—22. See also Isa. 



102 



REVELATION. 



overcometh, shall not be hurt of 
the second death. 

12 And to the angel of the 
church in Pergamos write ; 
These things saith he which 
hath the sharp sword with two 
edges ; 

xxxi. 9 : " The Lord's fire is in Zion, 
and his furnace in Jerusalem." They 
suffered the second death, then, — an 
utter, total death, — at the time of the 
entire overthrow and extinction* of 
their nation. " He that overcometh, 
shall not be hurt of the second death ;" 
i. e., he that is faithful through all 
tribulations, shall not be involved in 
the general calamity which is about 
to fall on the Jews, and on all the 
enemies of Christ. Let the reader 
examine the following passages, and 
he will see that the terms " fire and 
brimstone" are terms frequently em- 
ployed by the sacred writers to de- 
scribe the judgments of God in the 
present life ; Gen. xix. 24 ; Deut. 
xxix. 23 ; Job xviii. 15 ; Psa. xi. 6 ; 
Isa. xxx. 33 ; xxxiv. 9, 10 ; Ezek. 
xxxviii. 22 ; Luke xvii. 29. For 
further remarks on the second death, 
see our comments on Eev. xx. 6, 14 ; 
and xxi. 8. 

EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IN PERGAMOS. 

12. Angel. — See the notes on ii. 
1 and 8. % Pergamos. — This place 
is mentioned but twice in the Scrip- 
tures ; Rev. i. 11 ; ii. 12. It was a 
celebrated city of antiquity, the most 
important place in Mysia, and the 
most northerly of the places that 
contained the seven apocalyptical 
churches. It probably existed eight 
or ten centuries before Christ. It was 
famed for its library, which yielded 
only to that of Alexandria in extent 
and value, and it is said to have con- 
tained upwards of two hundred thou- 
sand volumes. It was the birth-place 
of the celebrated Galen, and in its 
vicinity there was a famous temple 
of iEsculapius. The modern town 



13 I know thy works, and 
where thou dwellest, even where 
Satan's seat is : and thou hold- 
est fast my name, and hast not 
denied my faith, even in those 
days wherein Antipas was my 
faithful martyr, who w T as slain 

retains the name of Bergamo, Berga- 
mah, or Bergma. If He which hath the 
sword with two edges. — This is a refer- 
ence to the Son of man ; see i. 16; 
and to the notes on that text we refer 
the reader. 

13. I know thy works. — This was 
said to the whole seven of the 
churches. ^[ Where thou dwellest. — 
The place is specially referred to, as 
if for some reason it was worthy of 
particular observation. The pecu- 
liarity is brought out in the next 
words. Where Satan's seat is. — 
That is, his location, his place of influ- 
ence and power. There had been a 
great opposition to Christianity there. 
It was a place of great heathen 
strength. The immense library was 
there, which perhaps brought together 
the heathen and Jewish scholars from 
all parts of Asia, Greece, and the 
more western parts of the world. 
This would tend to give character 
and strength to the opposition to 
Christianity. The word Satan has 
much the same general use in the 
Scriptures as diabolos, or devil. In 
the case before us it is used for the 
adversaries collectively at Pergamos. 
Peter was the Satan when he opposed 
his master; Matt. xvi. 23 ; Mark viii. 
33. In one case Satan seems to sig- 
nify a disease ; Luke xiii. 16. But 
when Paul says, " The God of peace 
shall bruise Satan under your feet 
shortly," Rom. xvi. 20, he refers 
undoubtedly to the human adversaries 
of Christianity. The word seems 
also to bear the same sense in 1 
Thess. ii. 18 : " Wherefore we would 
have come unto you, even I Paul, 
once and again ; but Satan hindered 
us." We do not suppose Paul meant 



CHAPTER II. 



103 



among you, where Satan dwell- 
eth. 

14 But I have a few things 
against thee, because thou hast 
there them that hold the doc- 
trine of Balaam, who taught 
Balak to cast a stumbling-block 
before the children of Israel, to 



that some invisible, intangible, mali- 
cious agent had power enough over 
him to succeed for a length of time 
in hindering him against his will 
from doing his duty. We shall define 
Satan's seat then to be the place of a 
powerful and wicked opposition to 
Christianity. And yet the church as 
a body stood fast, ft Hast not denied 
my faith. — They did not abandon the 
name of Christ, and they held fast his 
faith, even in those terrible days when 
Antipas was slain. Dr. Hammond 
tells us that Antipas was cotemporary 
with the apostles ; that he was bishop 
of the church of Pergamos, and that 
in his very old age he fed and ruled 
the dock in all godliness. He was a 
faithful martyr, and was slain where 
Satan dwelt. It is certain from the 
text that he was a Christian, that he 
was faithful even unto death, and 
that he was slain at Pergamos as a 
witness of Jesus. The character 
bestowed upon this church was, in 
general, very honorable to them. 

14. But I have a few things 
against thee. — Notwithstanding the 
praise which had been bestowed 
upon them, there were some things 
among them that were wrong. They 
had not divorced themselves from 
those who held the error of Balaam. 
And what was that ? Balaam taught 
Balak, king of the Moabites, " to cast 
a stumbling-block before the children 
of Israel." See Numb. xxxi. 16 : 
"Behold, these caused the children of 
Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, 
to commit trespass against the Lord, 
in the matter of Peor, and there was 
a plague among the congregation of 
the Lord." Balaam was not in all 



eat things sacrificed unto idols, 
and to commit fornication. 

15 So hast thou also them 
that hold the doctrine of the 
Nicolaitanes, which thing I 
hate. 

16 Repent ; or else I will 
come unto thee quickly, and 



things faithful. He led the children 
of Israel somewhat into idolatry and 
uncleanness. There were men like 
him in the church at Pergamos, who 
were willing to compromise with 
their heathen neighbors, for the grat- 
ification of their lusts. Persons of 
this description are mentioned by 
Peter, 2 Epis. ii. 10—15, and Jude 4. 

15. Doctrine of the Nicolaitanes. — 
This church differed from the church 
at Ephesus. The latter hated the 
deeds of the Nicolaitanes, but the 
church at Pergamos had those among 
them who held the doctrines of that 
sect. Who these were, and what 
were their faults, will be seen by the 
notes on ver. 6. 

16. Eepent. — This is a word of 
wide import. It signifies not only to 
change the mind, not only to have 
sorrow for past misdeeds or neglects, 
but to reform the life. Thus the 
church at Ephesus was called on to 
"repent, and do the first works," ver. 
5 ; i. e., reform their fives, and get 
back again to duty and faithfulness. 

Come unto thee quickly. — See what 
is said on this topic in the notes on 
i. 1, 3. It is remarkable how partic- 
ular the Son of man was to show 
that his coming in judgment was not 
distant. See, also, Matt.xvi. 27, 28 ; 
Mark viii. 38 ; ix. 1 ; Luke ix. 26, 27. 
T[ Sword of my mouth. — This is a 
reference to what is said i. 16 ; "out 
of his mouth went a sharp two-edged 
sword." This two-edged sword was 
the word of God. The word of God 
is repeatedly represented by a sword. 
" The sword of the Spirit, which is the 
word of God," said Paul, Eph. vi. 
17. The author of the epistle to 



104 



REVELATION. 



will fight against them with the 
sword of my mouth. 

17 He that hath an ear, let 
him hear what the Spirit saith 
unto the churches : To him that 
overcometh will I give to eat 



the Hebrews employs a comparison 
instead of a metaphor. " For the 
word of God is quick, and power- 
ful, and sharper than any two-edged 
sword, piercing even to the dividing 
asunder of soul and spirit, and of the 
joints and marrow, and is a discerner 
of the thoughts and intents of the 
heart Heb. iv. 12. The word of 
God being the sword, is said to be the 
sword of the mouth. By that word 
they would be condemned, if they did 
not reform. 

17. He that hath an ear. — See 
the remarks on verses 7 and 11 of 
this chapter. ^ Hidden manna. — The 
manna was that food from heaven by 
which the children of Israel were sus- 
tained in their forty years' journey 
through the wilderness. It was a 
favorite custom of the apostle John to 
represent the gospel under the figure 
of food. He learned it of his Master. 
Jesus called himself the bread of God, 
that came down from heaven to give 
life to the world. It was the same 
style of metaphor to represent the 
gospel by manna, — hidden, not visi- 
ble manna. This may have refer- 
ence to the manna being kept in a 
pot in the temple ; or it may mean 
spiritual manna, such as is not visible 
to the outward sense of sight. In 
ver. 7 we read that he who overcame 
should " eat of the tree of life, which 
is in the midst of the paradise of 
God." The hidden manna is another 
metaphor to describe the same thing. 
The intention was, to signify that the 
Christians who were faithful under 
the trials described in the Apocalypse, 
should be entitled to, and should 
enjoy, the highest delights of the gos- 
pel. White stone. — This was a 
mark of honor. The stone here 
referred to was a beautiful white tab- 



of the hidden manna, and will 
give him a white stone, and in 
the stone a new name written, 
which no man knoweth, saving 
he that receiveth it. 

18 And unto the angel of the 



let. It was a sign of worth and 
purity. The figure perhaps was 
drawn from the breast-plate of the 
high priest, which had four rows of 
precious stones, three in each row, 
and on each stone was engraved the 
name of one of the tribes. In this 
way Aaron bore the names of the 
children of Israel in the breast-plate 
of judgment upon his heart, when he 
went in before the Lord. He thus 
presented them justified in God's 
sight; Exod. xxviii. 29, 30. God 
threatened the Jews who showed signs 
of idolatry, that he would destroy 
them, '-'and blot out their name from 
under heaven Deut. ix. 14. Here 
are the opposites. Those who for- 
sook the true God, and turned to idol- 
atry, were to have their names blotted 
out ; while those who were faithful to 
the end, and kept themselves free 
and uncontaminated by the idolatry 
by which they were surrounded, 
should have a new name, a more 
honored name, which, like the names 
of the tribes on the breast-plate of 
judgment, should be engraved on a 
stone, white as a sign of purity and 
honor. And this name should be a 
pass- word to glory and distinction. 
None should know it, except him 
who received it. It could not, there- 
fore, be counterfeited ; and it was a 
sure security to the individual who 
possessed it that his honors should 
never be lost. 

EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH AT THYATIRA. 

18. Thyatira. — This was a consid- 
erable city, not a great distance from 
Pergamos, and in the way from the 
latter place to Sardis. It is men- 
tioned in Acts xvi. 14, where we are 
told that the pious Lydia, who re- 
ceived Paul and Silas at Philippi, 



CHAPTER n. 



105 



church in Thyatira write ; These 
things saith the Son of God, 
who hath his eyes like unto a 
flame of fire, and his feet are 
like fine brass ; 

19 I know thy works, and 
charity, and service, and faith, 

belonged to Thyatira. The modern 
name of it is Akhissar. Smith and 
Dwight, the American missionaries 
at Armenia, state that its aspect is 
poor and mean, that it has of late 
been built up of wood, and that it 
probably has not more than five 
thousand inhabitants, of whom fifteen 
hundred may be Greeks. Mr. Elli- 
ott, in his "Travels, gives a more 
favorable account, and represents the 
inhabitants to be nearly double the 
number given above. Perhaps, says 
McCulloch, the truth may lie between 
these conflicting statements. ^ Son 
of God. — This is the only instance 
of this phrase in the Apocalypse. 
We find the expression in all the New 
Testament ; but no writer employs it 
so often as John ; see Gos. i. 34 ; iii. 
18 ; v. 25 ; is. 35 ; x. 36 ; xi. 4 ; xix. 
7 ; xx. 31 ; 1 Epis. iii. 8 ; iv. 15 ; v. 
5, 10, 13, 20. By the use of this 
phrase in the case before us, we are 
distinctly told that the glorious per- 
sonage mentioned in chapter i. as 
being "like the Son of man," was 
the Lord Jesus Christ. Compare i. 
14, 15, with ii. 18. This will verify 
the fact completely. In both cases 
his eyes are said to be as flames of 
fire, and his feet as fine brass. 

19. I know thy works. — It will be 
seen that works are twice referred to 
in this verse. We think the sense 
of the verse is this: "I know thy 
works in general, — thy charity, thine 
administering to others, thy faith, 
thy patience, — these are thy works. 
^1 And the last more than the first. — 
Two seasons are here referred to, 
viz., the season before, and the season 
during, tribulation. In the last, the 
church at Thyatira appeared to more 
advantage than in the first. This 



and thy patience, and thy works ; 
and the last to be more than the 
first : 

20 Notwithstanding, I have 
a few things against thee, be- 
cause thou sufferest that woman 
Jezebel, which calleth herself a 

was an excellent commendation, and 
was the reverse of what was said to 
the church at Ephesus, verses 4, 5. 
Still the church at Thyatira was not 
perfect. Their last state, on the 
whole, was better than the first, but it 
was not wholly without fault. 

20 . That woman Jezebel. — The Jez- 
ebel, by way of distinction, was the 
wife of Ahab, mentioned in the 1st 
and 2d books of Kings. She led 
her husband into idolatry, slew the 
prophets of the true God, entertained 
the prophets of Baal, in great num- 
bers, at her own table, and at last 
came to a miserable death. She was 
a woman of great impurities. The 
name Jezebel occurs only once in the 
Apocalypse. It is not probable there 
was a person at Thyatira by that 
name ; but it is used metaphorically, 
either for some corrupt woman who 
had so great an influence in the 
church that she could not be expelled, 
or for a body of false teachers. As 
the Jezebel mentioned by the reve- 
lator is said to have claimed to be " a 
prophetess," she was probably some 
influential female, called by that 
name, because her character and 
influence were like those of Jezebel 
of olden time, exceedingly bad. She 
seduced God's servants to commit 
fornication, which maybe understood 
literally or metaphorically, for un- 
faithfulness to God, and impurity in 
the matter of faith. \ Bat things 
sacrificed unto idols. — Among- other 
vices she seduced God's servants to 
eat things sacrificed unto idols. This 
has been before mentioned as one of 
the errors of Balaam ; see ver. 14. 
When the early Christians became 
convinced that it was the purpose of 
God to receive the Gentiles into the 



106 



REVELATION. 



prophetess, to teach and to seduce 
my servants to commit fornica- 
tion, and to eat things sacrificed 
unto idols. 

21 And I gave her space to 
repent of her fornication, and 
she repented not. 

22 Behold, I will cast her 
into a bed, and them that com- 
mit adultery with her into great 

church, the first among the duties 
impressed upon them seems to have 
teen, that they should " abstain from 
meats offered to idols Acts xv. 20, 
29. This prohibition was not given, 
probably, because the church sup- 
posed the food was in itself rendered 
injurious, but because the reception 
and constant use of it would lessen 
the horror of idolatry, which all the 
holy men of old had sedulously sought 
to preserve in God's people. The 
hope of redeeming the world from 
idolatry was vested in them. Every 
harrier, therefore, to the ingress of 
that species of false religion was kept 
up. The influence of the Gentiles, at 
their admission into the church, was 
feared on these accounts. They were 
required, therefore, as a matter of 
.great importance, that they should 
not eat the food that had been con- 
nected with idolatrous sacrifices ; see 
Acts xxi. 25. Paul did not regard 
the eating of this food as vicious in 
itself, but the influence of it was deci- 
dedly bad ; see the whole eighth chap- 
ter of the 1st Epistle to the Corin- 
thians; see also same Epis. x. 19, 
28. The influence of Jezebel, then, 
was decidedly heathenish. The for- 
nication mentioned was perhaps that 
which was metaphorically so called ; 
for when the Jews worshipped the 
idols of the heathen, they were said 
to go a whoring after other gods ; 
Exod. xxxiv. 15, 16 ; Lev. xx. 5, 6 ; 
Deut. xxxi. 16 ; Psa. lxxiii. 27 ; Ezek. 
vi. 9. We are inclined to think this 
is the sense in which fornication is to 
be understood in the case before us, 



tribulation, except they repent 
of their deeds. 

23 And I will kill her chil- 
dren with death ; and all the 
churches shall know that I am 
he which searcheth the reins 
and hearts : and I will give 
unto every one of you accord- 
ing to your works. 

24 But unto you I say, and 



being coupled as it is with eating 
"things sacrificed unto idols." 

21. She repented not. — She was for- 
borne with, but she reformed not her 
life ; and she deserved, therefore, se- 
vere punishment. 

22. Will cast her into a led. — A 
bed of affliction is intended, as the 
parallellism shows, to wit, " into 
great tribulation." The style of the 
metaphor is kept up. Fornication 
was used metaphorically for heathen- 
ish practices, and casting into a bed 
is put for being thrown into great 
tribulation. Nothing would save her 
from this but a thorough reformation 
of life. 

23. And I will Mil her children with 
death. — Children seems here put for 
followers. To kill with death is a 
Hebraism, signifying utter, thorough 
death. Her name shall rot ; her fol- 
lowers shall die ; and her punishment 
shall be so signal and remarkable 
that "all the churches shall know 
that I am he which searcheth the 
reins and hearts ; and I will give 
unto every one of you according to 
your works." Such was to be her 
fate. % According to her works. — 
This is the principle on which divine 
retribution is inflicted, as we shall 
take occasion to show in another 
place, if our limits will allow ; see, 
for our present purpose. Psa. lxii. 12 j 
Jer. 1. 29 ; Hos. xii. 2 ; Matt. xvi. 27 ; 
Rom. ii. 6; 2 Cor. xi. 15 ; Rev. xx. 
12. Thus we see that the principle 
referred to is recognized both in the 
Old Testament and the New. 

24. This doctrine. — Viz., the doc- 



CHAPTER II. 



107 



unto the rest in Thyatira, As 
many as have not this doctrine, 
and which have not known the 
depths of Satan, as they speak ; 
I will put upon you none other 
burden : 

25 But that which ye have 
already, hold fast till I come. 



trine of Jezebel, which she had taught. 
They had suffered her to teach her 
errors, ver. 20, by which she had 
seduced God's servants to spiritual 
fornication, and led them to eat things 
sacrificed to idols. Upon those in 
Thyatira who had not this doctrine> 
God would put no other burden than 
that which he had already enjoined 
upon them, viz., that of rooting the 
influence of Jezebel out of the church. 
5[ Depths of Satan, as they speak. — 
They, of course, did not acknowledge 
them to be depths of Satan ; but they 
called them depths, i. e., profound 
matters. The Greek word for depths 
is not of very frequent occurrence 
in the New Testament. It may be 
found, Matt. xiii. 5 ; Mark iv. 5 ; 
Luke v. 4 ; Rom. viii. 39 ; xi. 33. 
In 1 Cor. ii. 10, it is put for "the 
deep things of God." See also 2 Cor. 
viii. 2; Eph. iii. 18. The heathen 
boasted much of their deep mysteries, 
which were connected with their idol- 
atrous practices, and to this boasting 
it seems probable the revelator refers. 
25. But that which ye have already. 

— Viz., those things which had been 
commended in them, — their works, 
their charity, their service, faith and 
patience ; ver. 19. They were di- 
rected to hold these fast until the 
coming of the Son of man. ^ Till I 
come. — This is the language Christ 
employed to denote his coming at the 
destruction of Jerusalem ; John xxi. 
22, 23. " The time was not far dis- 
tant when they might expect this." 

— (Prof. Stuart.) See also the long 
and valuable note of Dr. Hammond 
on this place, who defines the end, 
(ver. 26J and the coming, (ver. 25,) 



26 And he that overcometh, 
and keepeth my works unto the 
end, to him w T ill I give power 
over the nations : 

27 (And he shall rule them 
with a rod of iron ; as the ves- 
sels of a potter shall they be 
broken to shivers :) even as I 



as referring to the coming of Christ 
for the destruction of the Jews, and 
the judging of the nations according 
to their works. 

26. He that overcometh, to him mill 
I give power over the nations. — You 
shall go out and propagate the gos- 
pel, and reign spiritually in the hearts 
of men. 

27. Rod of iron. — The power of 
the gospel shall break them in pieces, 
like a potter's vessel. This is evi- 
dently a quotation from the 2d Psalm, 
where it is said of Jesus that he shall 
break the nations with a rod of iron, 
(or iron sceptre,) and dash them in 
pieces like a potter's vessel ; and 
hence it is said in Revelation, " He 
shall rule them with a rod of iron; 
as the vessels of a potter shall they 
be broken to shivers." % Even as I 
received of my Father. — Is not this a 
direct reference to the authority given 
him in that Psalm? Wherein does 
Jesus rule the nations and dash them 
in pieces ? Not as an earthly mon- 
arch, but as a spiritual ruler. How 
are the kingdoms of this world to 
become the kingdoms of our Lord and 
his Christ ? In what sense is Jesus 
to reign forever and ever ? Not as an 
outward prince. He reigned when in 
his flesh, in all his humility ; he 
reigned even on the cross ; yes, when 
dying, he reigned with greater power 
than at any other time. His follow- 
ers shall reign with him ; the saints 
shall judge the world, and overturn 
the ancient order of things, until Jesus 
shall be everywhere acknowledged. 

28. The morning-star. — To get the 
sense here, observe that the Son of 
God was encouraging the faithful 



108 



REVELATION. 



received of my Father. 

28 And I will give him the 
morning-star. 

29 He that hath an ear, let 
him hear what the Spirit saith 
unto the churches. 



Christians at Thyatira with the prom- 
ise that they should share the glories 
and honors belonging to himself. He 
shared the glories and honors of the 
Father, and they should share the 
glories and honors of the Son. Jesus 
said, when on earth, "And now, 
O Father, glorify thou me with thine 
own self, with the glory which I had 
with thee before the world was 
John xvii. 5. This primitive glory 
might be called the glory of the morn- 
ing-stars, because it was when the 
foundations of the earth were laid, 
that " the morning-stars sang together, 
and all the sons of God shouted for 
joy;" Job xxxviii. 6, 7. The same 
glory was to be shared by Christ's 
faithful followers. " Father, I will 
that they also whom thou hast given 
me be with me where I am ; that 
they may behold my glory which thou 
hast given me : for thou lovedst me 
before the foundation of the world;" 
John xvii. 24. " And the glory which 
thou gavest me, I have given them ; 
that they may be one, even as we are 
one;" Idem. 22. Hence Jesus prom- 
ised to his followers, that they should 
reign with him in his kingdom, and 
like him sway the nations with an 
iron sceptre. Their glory should be 
like his glory. Daniel, whose style 
the revelator closely imitates, had 
said, " They that be wise, shall shine 
as the brightness of the firmament ; 
and they that turn many to righteous- 
ness, as the stars forever and ever ;" 
xii. 3. In chap. i. 16, it had been 
said of the Son of man, "his coun- 
tenance was as the sun shineth in 
his strength." The Christians were 
called " the light of the world ;" Matt, 
v. 14. Jesus, being preeminently the 
light of the church, called himself 
" the bright and morning-star ;" Kev. 



CHAPTER III. 

AND unto the angel of the 
church in Sardis write ; 
These things saith he that hath 
the seven Spirits of God, and 

xxii. 16. But even this glory he was 
willing to share with his followers, 
" I will give him that overcometh and 
keepeth my works unto the end," i. e., 
unto the time when I come, "the 
morning-star." "He shall share my 
full glory, the glory which I had with 
thee before the world was. I will 
clothe him with radiance like that of 
the morning-star." 

29. He that hath an ear. — See the 
notes on verses 7, 11, 17. 

CHAPTER III. 

EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IN SARDIS. 

1. Angel. — The angel of the church 
was its minister, or presiding officer. 
See the notes on ii. 1, 8, 12, 18. Paul 
was an angel of God; Gal. iv. 14. 
% Sardis. — In the Scriptures we find 
Sardis mentioned only by the reve- 
lator; i. 11; iii. 1, 4. It was an 
ancient city of Lydia, the capital of 
the monarch of the country. It was 
situated at the foot of Mt. Tmolus, 
on the river Pactolus, which run 
through the place. It was a city of 
great wealth, Croesus the rich being 
one of the Lydian kings; and the 
influences which were exerted here 
were almost altogether unfavorable 
to the prosperity of Christianity. A 
miserable village called Sart is now 
found on the site of this once famous 
city. The seat of royalty, of wealth, 
of human greatness, we ought not to 
be surprised to learn that the gospel 
declined more rapidly here than in 
either of the seven churches. If Seven 
spirits of God. — We have largely 
considered this form of expression 
under ch. i. 4, to which we refer. It 
is not designed to represent God as 
septiform ; but the figure is drawn 
from the customs of ancient mon- 



CHAPTER III. 



109 



the seven stars; I know thy 
works, that thou hast a name, 
that thou livest, "and art dead. 

2 Be watchful and strengthen 
the things which remain, that 

archs, who kept seven confidential 
ministers or agents continually near 
their persons. Tf Seven stars. — The 
Son of God held the seven stars in his 
right hand. See the notes on i. 16. 
This description is intended to show- 
that it is the same glorious personage 
who addresses this church that had 
addressed John, as described in chap, 
i. He is scarcely described to either 
two of the churches under the same 
similitude ; but yet the description is 
such to every one, that it is evident 
the same personage was intended in 
all the cases. *[f I know thy works. — 
I know what thou hast done, and 
what thou art. doing ; I know fully 
thy character. If Livest and art dead. 
— Thou hast the credit of having life, 
but thou art dead. This was a deeper 
abasement than was ascribed to either 
of the other of the seven churches. 
This church maintained the form of 
religion, and professed to adhere to 
Christ, -but its spiritual life was near- 
ly extinct. Life and death are used 
by the sacred writers metaphorically. 
There is no figure more common in 
the Scriptures, We meet with it in 
the account of the transgression of 
our first parents, and it is continued, 
with more or less frequency, through 
the entire Bible. " She that liveth in 
pleasure is dead while she liveth ;" 
1 Tim. v. 6. See, also, John xi. 25, 
26 ; 1 John iii. 14 ; Jude 12. The 
fact here stated is so generally known, 
that we need not make further refer- 
ences. The church in Sardis had a 
name to live, i. e., it professed to have 
spiritual life, and perhaps was re- 
garded by the world as possessing it ; 
but in the sight of Him who " knew 
what was in man," there was little 
or no life in that church. It was 
dead. The church at Ephesus was 
charged by the revelator. as having 
10 



are ready to die ; for I have not 
found thy works perfect before 
God. 

3 Remember therefore how 
thou hast received and heard, 



lost its first love. To this Paul seems 
to refer, when he says to the same 
chureh, " Awake, thou that sleepest, 
and rise from the dead Eph. vi. 
14. This is the same figure ; but the 
church at Ephesus was not so thor- 
oughly paralyzed as that at Sardis. 

2. Strengthen the things which re~ 
main. — As though he had said, 
" Your case is not utterly desperate. 
You may yet recover from your fall- 
en state. Be watchful, — strengthen 
the things that remain, and those that 
are ready to die. I have not found 
thy works what they ought to have 
been in the sight of God ; but thou 
mayest with diligence recover thy 
former estate." 

3. How thou hast received and heard. 
— That is, remember the manner in 
which thou hast received and heard 
the gospel ; remember what advan- 
tages thou hast enjoyed; the effect 
which the preaching of the gospel 
had upon thee, when first thou didst 
hear it. ^ Hold fast. — Hold fast 
that which remains. Let thy Chris- 
tian character no further die. Hold 
fast to the profession of thy faith, and 
let thy works honor the name of 
Christ. *|[ Repent. — Repentance is 
put here for a change of habits, a 
reformation of life. Too many sup- 
pose that repentance is an act to be 
performed once for all, in a man's 
life, — a change of views and feel- 
ings. But we are persuaded it sig- 
nifies here a reformation of life, — a 
turning away from what had been 
condemned in the church in Sardis, 
and a change to newness of life. 
% As a thief. — But if thou wilt not 
watch, I will come in judgment upon 
thee ; thou shalt be recompensed ac- 
cording to thy works. The compari- 
son, to come " as a thief," was one 
which our Lord and his apostles fre- 



110 



REVELATION. 



and hold fast, and repent. If 
therefore thou shalt not watch, 
I will come on thee as a thief, 

quently used to show the manner of 
his coming. This is the first time 
we have met with it in the Apoca- 
lypse. It is a very striking one, if 
we understand it with due limitations, 
and obtain the precise idea which the 
revelator intended to convey. The 
thief comes at night, when men are 
asleep, and are off their watch. He 
is more likely to come, too, at an 
hour when he is not expected. It 
was for these reasons that our Lord 
compared his own coming to that of 
a thief. " Watch, therefore ; for ye 
know not what hour your Lord doth 
come. But know this, that if the 
good man of the house had known in 
what watch the thief would come, he 
would have watched, and would not 
have suffered his house to be broken 
up. Therefore, be ye also ready : for in 
such an hour as ye think not, the Son 
of man cometh ;" Matt. xxiv. 42 — 
44. Paul uses the same comparison, 
1 Thess. v. 2, 4 ; and Peter uses it, 2 
Epis. iii. 10. It will appear still 
more striking, if we consider the state 
of the church at Sardis at this time. 
They were not watchful. They had 
fallen into a state like profound sleep, 
or spiritual death ; they were expos- 
ed, therefore, to be taken unawares 
by the approaching judgment ; or, as 
it is said in the verse, " Thou shalt 
not know what hour I will come upon 
thee." We see, by the figure before 
us, the utter folly of pushing the 
Scripture metaphors and comparisons 
too far. When we have ascertained 
the one object which the writer had 
in view in using the figure, that is 
sufficient. We are not to push the 
comparison to every point. Headers 
of the Bible, ay, and preachers too, 
sometimes carry out a comparison at 
all points. They think their duty is 
to get as much truth as possible out 
of the Bible. Hence, in the parables 
of the New Testament, they must find 
a meaning for everything, however 



and thou shalt not know what 
hour I will come upon thee. 
4 Thou hast a few names 



trivial. For instance, in interpreting 
the parable of the good Samaritan, 
(Luke x.,) which was designed merely 
to show that our benevolence should 
not be confined to our friends, our 
countrymen, or the professors of the 
same religion, the interpreters refer- 
red to must have a spiritual meaning 
for Jerusalem ; for Jericho ,• for the 
thieves ; for stripping the wounded 
man ; for leaving him half dead ; 
for the priest ; for the Levite ; for 
their passing by on the other side ; 
for the oil, and wine, with which the 
Samaritan bathed the wounds ; for 
the inn ; and for the beast on which 
he bore the sufferer thereto. There 
can scarcely be anything more fatal 
to truth, than such a manner of in- 
terpreting the symbolical language 
of the Scriptures. In the case before 
us, the point to be illustrated was, 
that our Lord would come in an hour 
when he was not looked for, and 
when men were asleep. This was 
sufficient to justify the comparison, 
and to lead him to represent himself 
as being about to come like a thief in 
the night. But, if we push the ap- 
plication to all points, we could pro- 
ceed to show that our Lord came to 
steal, to kill, and to destroy, (for this 
is the purpose for which thieves gen- 
erally come,) than which nothing 
could be further from the truth. We 
see, then, that much discretion is to 
be used in the application of scrip- 
tural similitudes ; and that there is 
more need of sound judgment to aid 
Us in that matter, than of a vivid 
fancy. 

4. A few names. — Names are put 
for persons. Nothing is more com- 
mon in the Old Testament than the 
use of the word name for Jehovah, 
his person, his nature, his statutes. 
To praise, or call on the name of the 
Lord, Avas to praise, or call on God 
himself. To trust in the name of the 
Lord was to trust in Him. So, the 



CHAPTER III. 



Ill 



even in Sardis, which have not 
denied their garments ; and they 
shall walk with me in white ; 
for they are worthy. 



heathen were said to call on the name 
of their gods. We read in Acts i. 15 : 
" And in those days Peter stood up in 
the midst of the disciples, and said, 
(the number of the names together 
were about a hundred and twenty.") 
Here names again are pat for per- 
sons. The word names, it is possi- 
ble, may have been used, in the verse 
before us, in reference to the roll of 
the church, in the following sense : 
" Thou hast a few names enrolled, 
even in Sardis, which have not defiled 
their garments." ^[ Even in Sardis. 
— Here the city is referred to as a 
very wicked place ; it seems to have 
been somewhat remarkable that even 
a few were found there. From all 
that is said of Sardis in the Apoca- 
lypse, we should conclude that of the 
seven Apocalyptic churches, this had 
fallen furthest from Christ. They 
had the reputation of living, but were 
dead, with the exception of the few 
names referred to ; and these were 
certainly worthy of the greater praise 
for showing such an example of stead- 
fastness in the midst of a general de- 
cline. T[ Walk with me in white. — 
Garments are used to 'represent the 
conduct and character of men. Sin 
is sometimes expressed under the 
idea of nakedness ; Rev. iii. 17 ; and 
sometimes under that of mean cloth- 
ing ; Job viii. 22 ; Rev. xvi. 15. But 
righteousness and purity are spoken 
of as clean, pure, beautiful garments. 
Men called on to leave their sins and 
turn to righteousness, are exhorted to 
put on their beautiful garments ; Isa. 
Iii- 1. So the saints are said to walk 
in white, the emblem of purity. " Let 
thy garments be always white ;" Eccl. 
ix. 8. " Though your sins be as scar- 
let, they shall be white as snow;" Isa. 
i. 18. The Ancient of Days had on 
garments white as snow ; Dan. vii. 
9. When Jesus was transfigured, his 



5 He that overcometh, .the 
same shall be clothed in white 
raiment ; and I will not blot out 
his name out of the book of life, 



raiment was white as the light ; Matt, 
xvii. 2. The angels are supposed to 
be clothed in white ; Matt, xxviii. 3 ; 
Acts i. 10. Thus the redeemed are 
said, in the verse before us, to walk 
with Christ in white, i. e., all pure. 
The same sense is expressed in the 
following verse. — See Dr. Campbell's 
note on John xvii. 11. 

5. Overcometh. — This is another 
instance of the phraseology of John. 
Compare 1 John v. 4, 5, with Rev. ii. 
7, 11, 17, 26; iii. 5, 12, 21; xxi. 7. 

White raiment. — See the remarks 
under the preceding verse. White 
raiment was supposed by the Jews to 
be worn in the presence of God ; and 
heralds from the invisible world are 
clothed in white raiment in the de- 
scriptions of the sacred writers. The 
four-and-twenty elders, that sat round 
about the throne, were clothed in 
white raiment, and had crowns of 
gold upon their heads ; Rev. iv. 4. 
White raiment was a mark of purity, 
distinction, and honor. It was a sign 
of acceptance with God. Hence men 
were exhorted to obtain it; Rev. iii. 
18. The wedding garment, men- 
tioned Matt. xxii. 11, 12, was a long 
white robe ; and garments of that 
kind, in many cases, especially at the 
weddings of the rich, were prepared 
and presented to the guests. — See 
Whittemore ; s Illus. of Par., 289—291. 

Out of the book of life. — Here it is 
presumed that his name was in the 
book of life, — the promise is, that it 
shall be retained there. The greater 
part of the names attached to the 
church in Sardis were to be blotted 
out ; but a few had the promise that 
their names should not be affected by 
this expurgating process. The names 
of God's servants are supposed met- 
aphorically to be enrolled in a book. 
It was the custom of earthly kings to 
keep rolls of those they had under 



113 



REVELATION. 



but I will confess his name be- 
fore my Father, and before his 
angels. 

6 He that hath an ear, let 



their command. In cities, also, these 
rolls were kept ; and those who had 
the honor of being admitted to free- 
dom and citizenship were enrolled in 
the public register. If at any time 
they did that which was treasonable, 
then their names might be erased, 
and they were no longer confessed 
before the world, and before the sove- 
reign, to be members of the city. 
From these customs, which were 
very ancient, came the scriptural 
phrase, book of life. God's chosen 
people and church are represented 
under the figure of a city. He is 
represented as keeping a roll of his 
friends, from which the names of the 
unfaithful would be erased. Moses' 
prayer was founded on this metaphor. 
" And Moses returned unto the Lord, 
and said, Oh, this people have sinned 
a great sin, and have made them 
gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt, 
forgive their sin ; and if not, blot me, 
I pray thee, out of thy book which 
thou hast written,-" Exod. xxxii. 31, 
32; comp. Eom. ix. 3. The phrase 
"book of life" is peculiarly expres- 
sive. It signifies the roll of the liv- 
ing, — the roll of those who had 
been raised to the enjoyment of spir- 
itual life 5 and, as the greater part of 
the church in Sardis had only a name 
to live, (i. their names were still 
kept on the roll,) while they were 
really dead, their names were to be 
erased from the book of life ; while 
the names of those few who still en- 
joyed their spiritual life should be 
retained there. The phrase "book of 
life" may be found Phil. iv. 3 ; Rev. 
iii. 5 ; xiii. 8 ; xx. 12, 15 ; xxi. 27 ; 
xxii. 19. But I will confess his 
name. — This is the counterpart of 
the blotting out. The unfaithful 
should have their names blotted out. 
On the contrary, the faithful should 
have their names retained ; and in 



him hear what the Spirit saith 
unto the churches. 

7 And to the angel of the 
church in Philadelphia write : 

this way they should be confessed 
before the Father, and before his 
angels. Christ himself had pre- 
viously expressed the same thing in 
similar words. "Whosoever, there- 
fore, shall confess me before men, 
him will I confess also before my 
Father which is in heaven. But 
whosoever shall deny me before men, 
him will I also deny before my 
Father which is in heaven;" Matt, 
x. 32, 33. As if he had said ; "If 
you be faithful, I will own you, as 
my disciples, before my Father and 
his angels, — I will acknowledge you 
in the most public manner ; but if 
you fall into sin, or indifference, — if 
you, in this manner, deny me, then I 
shall disown you. Your name shall 
be erased from the roll of my fol- 
lowers ; I shall not confess you, but 
deny you, as you have denied me." 
Such seems to be the import of the 
verse. "While men will not be Chris- 
tians, they certainly ought not to be 
acknowledged as such. 

6. He that hath an ear. — See the 
remarks on Rev. ii. 7, 11, 17, 29. 

EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH I It PHIL- 
ADELPHIA. 

7. Philadelphia. — The ancient city 
bearing this name was east of Sardis 
about 28 miles. It was in that 
section of Asia Minor called Lydia, 
and was named from Attalus Phila- 
delphus, king of Pergamos, by whom 
it was founded. It stood on a branch 
of Mount Tmolus, by the river Cog- 
amus. Strabo relates, that in his 
time, which was not far from the date 
of the Apocalypse, this city had suf- 
fered much by frequent earthquakes. 
In 1312 it resisted the Turkish armies 
more successfully than the other cities 
of maritime Asia ; but at length sunk 
under the common calamity. It is 
now a mean, but considerable town ? 



CHAPTER III. 



113 



These things saith he that is 
holy, he that is true, he that 
hath the key of David, he that 
openeth, and no man shutteth ; 



called Ala-Shehr ; and contains from 
a thousand to fifteen hundred Greeks 
and Christians, who have a bishop 
and several inferior ecclesiastics. 
If He that is holy. — The reference 
here is unquestionably to the Son of 
God. He was the Holy One, whom 
the Father anointed, and set apart, 
for the great work of human redemp- 
tion. See Acts iii. 14; iv. 27, 30. 
If He that is true. — This refers to the 
same personage. The phraseology is 
peculiarly that of the apostle John. 
See 1 Epis. v. 20: "And we know 
that the Son of God is come, and 
hath given us an understanding, that 
we may know him that is true ; and 
we are in him that is true, even in 
his Son Jesus Christ." This is al- 
most the precise language employed 
in the Apocalypse. Jesus called 
himself " the way, the truth, and the 
life : " John xiv. 6 ; and one of 
John's favorite expressions in regard 
to him was, "He that is true." See 
also Rev. xix. 11. ^ Hath the key of 
David. — There seems to be a refer- 
ence here to Isaiah xxii. 22. " And 
the key of the house of David will I 
lay upon his shoulder : so he shall 
open, and none shall shut ; and he 
shall shut, and none shall open." 
The key was a mark of office, either 
sacred or civil. It is certainly an 
agent of power. With the key to a 
dungeon, men may open it, and dis- 
charge all the inmates. With the 
key of a coffer, or casket, they may 
have access to all the treasures there- 
in contained. If a man be invested 
with a key, therefore, it is a sign that 
great confidence is reposed in him, 
and great power is conferred upon 
him. He can open, and none can 
shut, — he can . shut, and none can 
open. The key, therefore, has been 
used metaphorically, as a sign of 
confidence and power, from long 

io# 



and shutteth, and no man 
openeth : 

8 I know thy works ; behold, 
I have set before thee an open 



antiquity. The gods and goddesses 
of the heathen had their key-bearers. 
But it is peculiarly an appropriate 
metaphor when applied to the Lord 
Jesus. He accused those who pre- 
vented men from entering the king- 
dom of heaven, of taking away " the 
key of knowledge Luke xi. 52. 
He had the key of knowledge, and 
hence he said to the people, " Knock, 
and it shall be opened unto you 
Matt. vii. 7. Isaiah prophesied of 
him, " That he should bring out the 
prisoners from the prison, and them 
that sit in darkness out of the prison 
house ;" xlii. 7. And again, the 
same prophet says, speaking in the 
name of Jesus, " He hath sent me to 
bind up the broken-hearted, to pro- 
claim liberty to the captives, and the 
opening of the prison to them that are 
bound;" lxi. 1. Such being one of 
the principal offices for which the Re- 
deemer came into the world, how ap- 
propriate is the metaphor of the key. 
The Saviour, then, probably intended 
that, like the individual mentioned in 
Isa. xxii. 22, he had a key which con- 
ferred on him the power to shut, and 
no man could open, — to open, and 
no man could shut. The lock was 
supposed to be one which no other 
key would fit, and which could not be 
opened by any other means. Such 
was the power of the key mentioned 
in the passage referred to ; and Jesus 
intended to say that he had the same 
power. 

8. I know thy works. — This was 
said to all the churches. The mean- 
ing is, " I know what thou doest, and 
the motives by which thou art gov- 
erned." Or, as it is said in another 
place. " I the Lord search the heart, I 
try the reins, even to give every man 
according to his ways, and according 
to the fruit of his doings Jer. xvii. 
10. And so again, Rev. ii. 23, "I 



in 



REVELATION. 



door, and no man can shut it ; 
for thou hast a little strength, 
and hast kept my word, and 
hast not denied my name. 

am he which searcheth the reins and 
hearts ; and I will give unto every 
one of you according to your works." 

An open door. — In the preceding 
verse it was said, that Jesus had the 
key of David ; that he opened, and no 
man could shut ; that he shut, and no 
man could open. After having as- 
serted the possession of this power, 
he then said, " I have set before thee 
an open door, and no man can shut 
it." The meaning of this is, we 
think, "I will make thy way plain 
before thee ; I will remove every ob- 
stacle ; I, who alone can do this, will 
do it in thy behalf." To open a door 
in the metaphorical sense, is to give 
a man liberty to pursue his proper 
vocation without hindrance ; to give 
free course to him in his pursuits. 
When God took away the obstacles 
which had prevented the preaching 
of the gospel to the Gentiles, it is 
said, "he had opened the door of 
faith" to them; Acts xiv. 27. So 
when Paul met with much success at 
Ephesus, and was induced thereby to 
prolong his stay there, he said, " I 
will tarry at Ephesus until Pente- 
cost ; for a great door and effectual is 
opened unto me, and there are many 
adversaries ;" 1 Cor. xvi. 8, 9. He had 
opportunity to preach the gospel ; and 
notwithstanding the many adversa- 
ries, he met with much success. See, 
also, 2 Cor. ii. 12. When Paul prayed 
that a " door of utterance" might be 
opened to him, Col. iv. 3, he meant 
that he desired great liberty to preach 
the gospel. When, therefore, the 
Son of God promised to the Philadel- 
phian church that he would set before 
them an open door, and no man could 
shut it, did it not mean, that he would 
give them full liberty in their proper 
Christian duties ; that they should 
have free course and be glorified ; 
and that their enemies should not 



9 Behold, I will make them 
of the synagogue of Satan, 
which say they are Jews, and 
are not, but do lie ; behold, I 

have the power to throw any insur- 
mountable obstacles in their way? 
% A little strength. — Notwithstand- 
ing all this church had suffered, it 
had not been effectually crushed. It 
had some strength left. It had shown 
decisive signs of spiritual life, even 
in its worst condition, for it had been 
faithful, — more so, perhaps, than eith- 
er of the other seven churches. ^Hasi 
kept my word. — This is the proof of 
what we have said. They had held 
fast the gospel ; they had not re- 
nounced the word of Christ. ^ Hast 
not denied my name. — This is a fur- 
ther proof of their steadfastness. 
From all that is said, we are clearly 
of the opinion, that this church had 
shown a firmer devotion to Christ 
than any other of the seven. 

9. Synagogue of Satan. — We have 
once before been called on to notice 
this phrase. See the notes on ii. 9. A 
synagogue of Satan signifies a wick- 
ed synagogue, a synagogue of adver- 
saries, the synagogue being put for 
the worshippers therein. *R Which 
say they are Jews. — There were cer- 
tain persons at Philadelphia who 
claimed to be pious Jews, and were 
outwardly very devout. But they 
were not truly the children of Abra- 
ham. They were Jews outwardly, 
or by descent ; but were not Jews in 
the dignified and noble sense of the 
expression. John had learned this 
distinction from his master. During 
the ministry of Christ certain Jews 
boasted to him that they were Abra- 
ham's seed ; but Jesus said in reply, 
" If ye were Abraham's children, ye 
would do the works of Abraham f 
John viii. 39. He did not mean to 
den}^ that they were the posterity of 
Abraham ; but they were not his 
children in character. "Ye are of 
your father the devil, and the lusts 
of your father ye will do : he was a 



CHAPTER III 



115 



will make them to come and 
worship before thy feet, and to 
know that I have loved thee. 

10 Because thou hast kept 
the word of my patience, I also 

murderer from the beginning, and 
abode not in the truth ; because there 
is no truth in him. When he speak- 
eth a lie, he speaketh of his own : for 
he is a liar, and the father of it;" 
Idem, 44. Possibly John had these 
facts in his mind when he wrote the 
passage in the. Apocalypse which w T e 
are considering, — " Which say they 
are Jews, and are not, but do lie." 

Worship before thy feet. — I will 
make them do thee homage. They 
are now thine oppressors ; they per- 
secute thee ; they cause thee to be 
cast into prison ; thus proving, by 
their works, that they are not possessed 
of true religion, but are in fact the 
synagogue of Satan. They shall 
be humbled : and shall come and 
bow before thee. ^f Know that I have 
loved thee. — They shall see so many 
proofs of the protection of Heaven 
extended out in thy behalf, that when 
I come in my glor} r , and they are 
cast down, they shall see that I have 
loved thee. 

10. The word of my patience. — We 
think the meaning here is, the word 
in which I have enjoined the duty of 
patience, illustrated by my example. 
It was necessary for Christ and his 
apostles to enjoin the duty of patience 
on their fainting followers. Jesus said 
to them, in his memorable discourse 
concerning the destruction of Jeru- 
salem, " And ye shall be hated of all 
men for my name's sake. But there 
shall not a hair of your head perish. 
In your patience possess ye your 
sonls. And when ye shall see Jeru- 
salem compassed with armies, then 
know that the desolation thereof is 
nigh Luke xxi. 17—20. The per- 
secution would be so ardent, and the 
hope of escape from it at the coming of 
Christ would be so strong, that Jesus 
feared his disciples would become 



will keep thee from the hour of 
temptation, which shall come 
upon all the world, to try them 
that dwell upon the earth. 

11 Behold, I come quickly : 



impatient. Paul said to the Thessa- 
lonians, that he gloried in them, " for 
their patience and faith in all their 
persecutions and tribulations ;" 2 
Epis. i. 4. And again, " The Lord 
direct your hearts into the love of 
God, and into the patient waiting for 
Christ;" Idem, iii. 5. See also Jas. 
v. 7, 8. % Hour of temptation. — 
This was to be the reward of their 
patience ; and it was certainly a very 
natural one. They were to be pre- 
served from the hour, or season, of 
temptation. Their severest trials, 
perhaps, had not then fallen upon 
them. But Jesus promised them 
help to bear them safely through. 
The troubles to which he referred 
were doubtless those that were to at- 
tend his coming. If All the world. — 
The troubles were to come on all the 
world, to try them that dwelt on the 
earth. The word here (oikoumene) 
signified the inhabited world, — the 
Roman empire ; to try them that 
dwelt in the earth, or land to which 
the judgment was confined. This 
was not a judgment in the immortal 
state ; but here on the earth. It was 
a judgment simultaneous with the 
coming of Christ; and it was said it 
would "try them that dwelt upon the 
earth." 

11. Behold, I come quickly. — This 
shows that the troubles mentioned in 
the preceding verse were the troubles 
attending the coming of the Lord 
Jesus. The invariable language 
which our Lord used concerning his 
coming showed that it was near when 
he was on the earth. It was still 
nearer when the Apocalypse was 
written. Again and again, we are 
told in that book, it was to transpire 
quickly, See i. 1, 3, and the notes 
on those passages. See also xxii. 6, 
7, 10, 12, 20. How unwise do those 



116 



REVELATION. 



hold that fast which thou hast, 
that no man take thy crown. 

12 Him that overcometh, will 
I make a pillar in the temple of 
my God, and he shall go no 
more out : and I will write upon 
him the name of my God, and 
the name of the city of my God, 



appear who are still looking for the 
second coming of Christ. ^[ Hold 
that fast. — Be tenacious of thy good 
name, of thy patience, faith, and love. 
Part not from them, Thy crown. 
— These are thy crown, — thy vir- 
tues, thy regard for my word, thy 
love of my cause, — these things 
cover thee with glory and honor, 
and are a crown upon thy head. 
Hold fast, that no man take thy 
crown. See the notes on the phrase 
"crown of life," ii. 10. 

12. Overcometh. — We have before 
proved that this is in the style of 
John. See the notes on iii. 5, and 
other places. *[[ A pillar in the temple 
of my God. — This was the. reward of 
the faithful, — not a far distant re- 
ward in the future world ; but a re- 
ward in this world ; he shall be a 
pillar in the temple of my God. To 
be a pillar is to be a support and an 
ornament, for a pillar supports and 
ornaments the building. We read 
that " the church of the living God is 
the pillar and ground of the truth 
1 Tim. iii. 15. That men are made 
pillars in the temple of God in the 
present life, who can deny ? James, 
Cephas and John were said to be pil- 
lars ; Gal. ii. 9. % He shall go no 
more out. — For the pillar is a fixture, 
and cannot be taken away without 
great detriment to the building. I 
mill write upon him. — That is, I will 
inscribe upon the pillar the-jiame of 
the city of my God. And this city is 
the New Jerusalem. Not the old 
Jerusalem, the earthly city ; but the 
New Jerusalem, the heavenly city, 
the spiritual city, the city which John 
saw coming down from God out of 



which is new Jerusalem, which 
cometh down out of heaven from 
my God : and I will write upon 
him my new name. 

13 He that hath an ear, let 
him hear what the Spirit saith 
unto the churches. 

14 And unto the angel of the 



heaven ; Rev. xxi. 2. When we come 
to consider chaps, xxi. and xxii., we 
shall have occasion to contemplate a 
very full description of the New Jeru- 
salem, to which the revelator merely 
refers in the passage now before us. 
% My new name. — This figure of the 
new name is borrowed from Isa. lxii. 
2, and hath been before mentioned, 
Rev. ii. 17. 

13. He that hath an ear. — See the 
remarks on Rev. ii. 7, 11, 17. 

EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IN LAODICEA. 

14. Laodiceans. — This is the only 
place in which the Laodiceans, or 
their city, is mentioned in the Apoca- 
lypse ; but we find mention made of 
them repeatedly in Paul's epistle to 
the Colossians. He seemed to have 
an earnest regard for them, mingled 
with no small degree of anxiety. 
"For I would that ye knew what 
great conflict I have for you, and for 
them at Laodicea, and for as many 
as have not seen my face in the flesh ; 
that their hearts might be comforted, 
being knit together in love, and unto 
all riches of the full assurance of un- 
derstanding, to the acknowledgment 
of the mystery of God, and of the 
Father, and of Christ ; in whom are 
hid all the treasures of wisdom and 
knowledge. And this I say, lest any 
man should beguile you with enticing 
words Col. ii. 1—4. See also Col. 
iv. 13, 15, 16. Laodicea was situ- 
ated on the confines of Phrygia and 
Lydia. Previous to assuming the 
name here given, it had borne others. 
It was long an inconsiderable place, 
but increased toward the time of 
Augustus Caesar ; and though an in- 



CHAPTER in, 



117 



church of the Laodiceans write ; 
These things saith the Amen, 

land town, it grew more potent than 
the cities on the coast, and became 
one of the largest towns in Phrygia, 
as its present ruins prove. It was 
terribly ravaged in the wars between 
the Turks and Romans, and after- 
wards by the Tartars. It was a I 
place of consequence at the time of 
the writing of the Apocalypse. The 
Christians there were represented as 
being infected with pride, and also as 
having lost the love that they ought 
to bear to Christ. It is probable that 
the prosperity of their city, and the 
increase of its wealth, had lifted them 
up. The site is now utterly desolate. 
Not a trace of a house, church or 
mosque, Angel of the church. — 
See the notes on ii. 1, 8, 12, 18 ; iii. 
1, 7. f The Amen. — The word 
amen imports truth and certainty. 
Hence, the phrase, " verily, verily, I 
say unto you,*'' which we meet with 
so frequently in the gospels, (where 
the Greek for verily is Amen,) signi- 
fies, truly, — a solemn affirmation of 
the truth of the declaration. As a 
substantive, the word occurs with the 
article but once, "the Amen," viz., in 
the verse before us. "We suspect that 
in some Greek copies it is also pre- 
served in Rev. i. 18, as Schmidt, in 
his Greek Concordance, gives the arti- 
cle as being found in that place. 
The amen signifies, the true, the cer- 
tain. See Spear's Titles of Christ, 
under that word. % The faithful and 
true. — This is the exact sense of 
the amen, and follows in apposition. 
The amen, i. e., the faithful and true. 

Witness. — Jesus was preeminently 
a witness, and so he often described 
himself. The evangelist John called 
the Baptist a witness ; John i. 8, 
15, 32, 34. Jesus is described him- 
self as a witness; John iii. 11, 44; 
iv. 44 ; v. 31, 32, 33, 36, 37 ; vii. 7; 
viii. 13, 14, 18 ; x. 25 ; xiii. 21 ; xv. 
26, 27 ; xviii. 23, 37. This is abun- 
dantly sufficient to show the style of 
John. He speaks of Christ very fre- 



the faithful and true Witness, the 
beginning of the creation of God ; 

quently as a witness, and his preach- 
ing is represented as the bearing of 
testimony, or bearing record. This 
is to be reckoned among the instances 
which show a similarity between the 
style of the Apocalypse and that 
I of the undisputed writings of John. 
% Beginning of the creation of God. — 
We have already learned that Jesus 
was the " Alpha and Omega, the 
beginning and the end ;" i. 8. He 
is now called " the beginning of the 
creation of God.'' Does this mean 
that Jesus was the beginning in the 
order of time ? or the head, or chief, 
of all God's works in point of honor 
and degree? The phrase "'beginning 
of the creation,'" is used adverbially 
for the time of the commencement of 
the works of creation. "But from 
the beginning of the creation, God 
made them male and female ;" Mark 
x. 6 ; xiii. 19. The apostle John 
seems to have had the idea that Jesus 
existed before all created things, and 
was the agent of the Father in the 
creation, and acted for him ; and 
hence was the chief, or prince of the 
creation. "In the beginning was the 
Word, and the Word was with God, 
and the Word was God. The same 
was in the beginning with God. All 
things were made by him ; and with- 
out him was not anything made that 
was made ;" John i. 1 — 3. Here is 
a manifest reference to the beginning 
of the creation ; for it was of the 
creation that John was speaking. 
Jesus was the chief, or the head of 
this creation. "All things were made 
by him ; and without him was not 
anything made that was made 3. 
Look now at the first Epistle of John. 
Here we have the same train of 
thought; and, as in the gospel, it 
breaks out at the very opening. 
"That wmich was from the begin- 
ning, which we have heard, which 
we have seen with our eyes, which 
we have looked upon, and our hands 
have handled, of the word of life," 



118 



REVELATION. 



15 I know thy works, that 
thou art neither cold nor hot : 
I would thou wert cold or hot. 

16 So then, because thou art 



In the Gospel, Jesus is called " the 
word ;" in the Epistle he is called 
" the word of life ;" in the Apocalypse 
"the word of God;" xix. 13. Jesus 
was the head of the creation. Paul 
expresses the same idea " Who is 
the image of the invisible God, the 
first-born of every creature : for by 
him were all things created, that are 
in heaven, and that are in earth, vis- 
ible and invisible, whether they be 
thrones, or dominions, or principali- 
ties, or powers : all things were cre- 
ated by him and for him : and he is 
before all things, and by him all 
things consist Col. i. 15 — 17. There 
are evidently two senses in which 
Jesus is the " beginning of the crea- 
tion of God." 1st. He was the first- 
born of every creature; Col. i. 15. 
2d. He was the prince or chief of the 
creation. Both ideas seem to have 
been combined in the character of 
Jesus, in the mind of John, and also 
of Paul. John preserved the trait in 
his three works, viz., the Apocalypse, 
the Epistle, and the Gospel. 

15. I know thy works. — This was 
said to all the seven churches. ^[ Nei- 
ther cold nor hot, — They had not for- 
saken Christ, neither were they very 
warm in his defence. Their state 
seems to have caused a perplexity in 
the mind of the Son of God. If they 
had been either cold or hot, he would 
have known more directly what judg- 
ment to have pronounced ; and hence 
he says, " I would thou wert cold or 
hot." I would there were something 
more decisive in thy case. The state 
of the church at Laodicea seems to 
have been somewhat analogous to 
that of the children of Israel in the 
time of the prophet Elijah. They 
seemed to have become bewildered 
by the influence of idolatry, as prac- 
tised by Ahab and his powerful but 
iniquitous spouse, Jezebel. Elijah, 



lukewarm, and neither cold nor 
hot, I will spue thee out of my 
mouth : 

17 Because thou sayest, I am 



in the strong consciousness of the 
rectitude of his cause, called aloud 
unto them to decide between God and 
Baal. "How long halt ye between 
two opinions ? if the Lord be God, fol- 
low him : but if Baal, then follow him. 
And the people answered him not a 
word;" 1 Kings xviii. 21. Their 
state of uncertainty was peculiarly 
puzzling and disagreeable to the 
prophet of the true God. So in the 
case before us, the Son of God says, 
"I would thou wert cold or hot." 

16. Spue thee out of my mouth. — 
The figure is expressive, as any man's 
sensibilities will testify. Because 
they were lukewarm, i. e., neither 
cold nor hot, the Son of God could 
not endure them. We see, then, the 
standard of love which Christ re- 
quired. He asked for a fervent love. 
If any man loved father, mother, 
brother, sister, wife, children, houses, 
lands, or his own life even, more than 
Christ, he was not fit, in that age, to 
be his disciple. When the church 
at Ephesus lost their first love, they 
were regarded as a fallen people, and 
were called on. as such, to repent. 
They probably did repent. The 
church at Laodicea had committed 
the same sin — they had left their 
first love; they had become luke- 
warm. Such a state the Lord Jesus 
could not endure. He showed signs 
of displeasure. When a people of 
old were driven from their land in 
consequence of their wickedness, the 
land was said to spue them out ; 
Lev. xviii. 28 ; and so when the Lao- 
diceans were driven from the special 
presence of the. Son of man, in conse- 
quence of their indifference, he was 
said to spue them out of his mouth. 

17. / am rich. — People ofttimes 
glory in their earthly riches. This 
was the case with Ephraim of old ; 
and perhaps the revelator had his eye 



CHAPTER III. 



119 



rich, and increased with goods, 
and have need of nothing ; and 
knowest not that thou art wretch - 



on that case. " And Ephraim said, 
Yet I am become rich, I have found 
me out substance : in all my labors 
they shall find none iniquity in me 
that were sin j" Hosea xii. 8. That 
this was an instance of pride and 
self-confidence, is evident from the 
14th verse. " Ephraim provoked him 
to anger most bitterly : therefore shall 
he leave his blood upon him, and his 
reproach shall his Lord return unto 
him." The Laodiceans had increased, 
it may have been, in earthly goods. 
Their city had prospered. They 
thought more of this than they ought 
to have done ; they placed their trust 
in it, and gloried in it. They had 
forgotten the excellent advice of the 
prophet : " Thus saith the Lord, Let 
not the wise man glory in his wisdom, 
neither let the mighty man glory in 
his might, let not the rich man glory 
in his riches : but let him that glo- 
rieth, glory in this, that he under- 
standeth and knoweth me, that I am 
the Lord which exercise loving-kind- 
ness, judgment, and righteousness, in 
the earth ; for in these things I de- 
light, saith the Lord Jer. ix. 23, 24. 
If Thou art wretched. — The revelator 
embraced the opportunity to impress 
upon them a sense of their spiritual 
poverty. In the more important 
sense, they were wretched, and mis- 
erable, and poor, and blind, and naked. 
The sacred writers often warn men 
against " the deceitfulness of riches." 
We are told in the parable that it 
"chokes the word;" Matt. xiii. 22. 
The Lord Jesus said, " How hard it is 
for them that trust in riches to enter 
into the kingdom of God ;" Mark x. 
24. The deceitfulness of riches con- 
sists in this, — they often lead men to 
suppose that they can furnish the soul 
all that it desires. "I will pull down 
my barns, and build greater; and 
there will I bestow all my fruits and 
my goods. And I will say to my 



ed, and miserable, and poor, and 
blind, and naked : 

IS I counsel thee to buy of 



soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid 
up for many years ; take thine ease, 
eat, drink, and be merry ;" Luke xii. 
18, 19. When men are rich, they too 
frequently think they "have need of 
nothing ;" while in the spiritual and 
more important sense, they are very 
poor. " They that will be rich, fall 
into temptation, and a snare, and into 
many foolish and hurtful lusts, which 
drown men in destruction and perdi- 
tion ;" 1 Tim. vi. 9. "Charge them 
that are rich in this world, that they 
be not high-minded, nor trust in un- 
certain riches, but in the living God, 
who giveth us richly all things to 
enjoy ; that they do good, that they 
be rich in good works, ready to 
distribute, willing to communicate ; 
laying up in store for themselves a 
good foundation against the time to 
come, that they may lay hold on eter- 
nal life;" 17—19. The terms wretch- 
ed, miserable, poor, blind, naked, are 
often used in the Scriptures to signify 
spiritual poverty. 

18. / counsel thee. — "I will give 
thee advice that thy true condi- 
tion requires — hear what I say unto 
thee." ^ Buy of me. — "Buy," is 
often used in the sense of obtain. 
"Buy the truth and sell it not;" 
Prov. xxiii. 23. "He that hath no 
money, come ye, buy, and eat ; yea, 
come, buy wine and milk without 
money and without price. Where- 
fore do ye spend money for that 
which is not bread? and your labor 
for that which satisfieth not ? hearken 
diligently unto me, and eat ye that 
which is good, and let your soul 
delight itself in fatness ;" Isaiah lv. 
1, 2. This was the only sense in 
which Jesus ever sold anything. He 
never received money for what he 
communicated to men. T[ Gold tried 
in the fire. — The precious metals are 
used in. different senses in the word 
of God. They are often put for 



120 



REVELATION. 



me gold tried in the fire, that 
thou mayest be rich ; and white 
raiment, that thou mayest be 



earthly riches. But in their purest 
state, they are sometimes used to 
represent "durable riches and right- 
eousness." And so the process of 
the purification of the metals is used 
to represent the process of divine 
grace in the purification of the sinful ; 
and afflictions and chastisements, be- 
cause they purify, are compared to 
the fire of the furnace. " And I will 
bring the third part through the fire, 
and will refine them as silver is 
refined, and will try them as gold is 
tried : they shall call on my name, 
and I will hear them ; I will say, It is 
my people ; and they shall say, The 
Lord is my God ;" Zech. xiii. 9. 
" But who may abide the day of his 
coming ? and who shall stand when 
he appeareth ? for he is like a refiner's 
fire, and like fuller's soap. And he 
shall sit as a refiner and purifier of 
silver: and he shall purify the sons 
of Levi, and purge them as gold and 
silver, that they may offer unto the 
Lord an offering in righteousness ;" 
Mai. iii. 2, 3. Hence, gold as the 
purest metal, and especially in its 
highest state of purification, is put for 
truth and purity. "A word fitly 
spoken is like apples of gold in pic- 
tures of silver;" Prov. xxv. 11. 
" How is the gold become dim ! how 
is the most fine gold changed ! the 
stones of the sanctuary are poured 
out in the top of every street. The 
precious sons of Zion, comparable to 
fine gold, how are they esteemed as 
earthen pitchers, the work of the 
hands of the potter! " Lam. iv. 1, 2. 
Bay of me gold, tried in the fire, i. e., 
the purest gold ; that which has no 
alloy. It is certainly put here for 
truth and righteousness, — the vir- 
tues which that church greatly needed. 
They had supposed themselves rich ; 
they had gold and silver; but they 
needed a better kind of riches, which 
the revelator represents by " gold 



clothed, and that the shame of 
thy nakedness do not appear; 
and anoint thine eyes with eye- 



tried in the fire." White raiment. — 
We have already explained this met- 
aphor, in the notes on iii. 5. White 
was the color that denoted honor, 
purity and rejoicing. The inhabit- 
ants of the heavenly world, the 
attendants who stand around the 
throne of God, messengers who bear 
the will of God to men, are all sup- 
posed to be clad in white. The heav- 
enly messenger who appeared to 
Daniel, was in white; vii. 9. At the 
transfiguration, the raiment of Jesus 
was " white as the light ;" Matt. xvii. 
2. The angel who appeared at the 
resurrection of Jesus, had on raiment 
" white as snow ;" Idem, xxviii. 3 ; 
see also Rev. iv. 4 ; vii. 9, 13 ; xv. 
6 ; xix. 8, 14. From these facts, the 
redeemed, cleansed from all their 
sins, are said to be without " spot, or 
wrinkle, or any such thing ;" Eph. v. 
27 ; that is, they are wholly white. 
" Many shall be purified and made 
white, and tried ;" Dan. xii. 10. And 
this whiteness, or purification, is pro- 
duced by the virtue of Christ's word ; 
for it was said of those who had been 
redeemed, " These are they which 
came out of great tribulation, and 
have washed their robes, and made 
them white in the blood of the Lamb ;" 
Rev. vii. 14. When, therefore, the 
Laodiceans were counselled to buy 
white raiment, it was in effect urging 
them to be purified ; and as their spir- 
itual destitution had been described, 
among other metaphors, by a want of 
clothing, the purity they so much 
needed was beautifully represented by 
raiment of whiteness. Eye-sohe. 
— The Laodiceans had been said to 
be blind, as well as poor and naked ; 
the correspondence of the metaphor 
required, therefore, that the improve- 
ment of their spiritual condition should 
be described as the improvement of 
the sight. Eye-salve is to promote 
the health of the eye j and they were 



CHAPTER m. 



121 



salve, that thou mayest see. 

19 As many as I love, I re- 
buke and chasten ; be zealous 
therefore, and repent. 

20 Behold, I stand at the 
door, and knock: if any man 
hear my voice, and open the 



to apply it that they might see. But 
it is easily perceived that the triplicate 
of metaphors in this verse are all 
aimed at the same thing, viz., to con- 
vince the church addressed, they were 
truly in a destitute condition in spir- 
itual things, whatever they might 
think of themselves ; and that Jesus, 
if they would but listen to his voice, 
would lead them to such an improve- 
ment as they needed. 

19. As many as I love. — The Son 
of God was specially careful that they 
should not think he loved them not, 
because he rebuked and chastened 
them. He therefore stated, that he 
rebuked and chastened those whom 
he loved. This is the principle of the 
divine administration. "My son, 
despise not thou the chastening of the 
Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked 
of him : for whom the Lord loveth 
he chasteneth, and scourgeth every 
son whom he receive th ;" Heb. xii. 
5, 6. % Be zealous therefore, and 
repent. — Their sin had been that of 
lnkewarmness. They were called on 
to be zealous. Zeal is the counter- 
part of coldness. Paul said, "It is 
good to be zealously affected always 
in a good thing;" Gal. iv. 18. The 
Christian's duty was a good thing; 
and the Laodiceans therefore were 
urged to enter into it with zeal, or 
heartfelt earnestness. They were 
called on to change their lives spe- 
cially in regard to this matter of luke- 
warrnness. 

20. / stand at the door and knock. — 
This is a figure of our Lord that 
occurs in the gospels ; see Luke xii. 
36. It implies, that Jesus was inter- 
ceding, by his word, for admission to 
their souls. *[[ I mill come in to him, 

11 



door, I will come in to him, 
and will sup with him, and he 
with me. 

21 To him that overcometh 
will I grant to sit with me in 
my throne, even as I also over- 
came, and am set down with 



and will sicp with him, and he with me. 
— When a man receives the truth, 
Jesus is said to take up his abode 
with him. So we read, in John xiv. 
23, " If a man love me, he will keep 
my words ; and my Father will love 
him, and we will come unto him, and 
make our abode with him." The 
same in substance is found in John's 
1st Epistle: "Let that therefore abide 
in you, which ye have heard from the 
beginning. If that which ye have 
heard from the beginning shall remain 
in you, ye also shall continue in the 
Son, and. in the Father;" ii. 24. In 
the same sense God is said to dwell 
with men upon the earth, viz., by the 
power of his truth. 

21. Sit with me in my throne. — 
Some think this refers to distin- 
guished honors to be conferred upon 
the saints, or believers, in the im- 
mortal world. But wherein does it 
differ from the rewards offered to 
those of the other six churches who 
were faithful? Rev. ii. 7, 10, 11, 26 ; 
iii. 5, 12; — all the figures in these 
passages refer to the same class of 
honors. To sit with Christ on his 
throne, is to reign with him. And 
where does he reign ? Where is his 
kingdom ? Is it not among men ? 
Let it be observed that Jesus promised 
to his disciples that they should be 
exalted to thrones when his kingdom 
was fully set up, provided they fol- 
lowed him in the regeneration and 
suffered with him. "Ye which have 
followed me in the regeneration, when 
the Son of man shall sit in the throne 
of his glory, ye also shall sit upon 
twelve thrones, judging the twelve 
tribes of Israel;" Matt. xix. 28. 
Jesus was a spiritual king, and, of 



122 



REVELATION. 



my Father in his throne. 

22 He that hath an ear, let 
him hear what the Spirit saith 
unto the churches. 



course, reigned in a spiritual king- 
dom. And according to Paul's appli- 
cation of a passage in Isaiah, this 
was a matter of prophecy. "And 
there shall come forth a rod out of 
the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall 
grow out of his roots ; and the Spirit 
of the Lord shall rest upon him, the 
spirit of wisdom and understanding, 
the spirit of counsel and might, the 
spirit of knowledge and of the fear of 
the Lord : and shall make him of 
quick understanding in the fear of 
the Lord : and he shall not judge 
after the sight of his eyes, neither 
reprove after the hearing of his ears : 
but with righteousness shall he judge 
the poor, and reprove with equity for 
the meek of the earth : and he shall 
smite the earth with the rod of his 
mouth, and with the breath of his 
lips shall he slay the wicked Isa. 
xi. 1 — 4. For Paul's application of 
this passage to Christ, see Eom. xv. 
12. The wicked will not have Christ 
to reign over them. f < But those mine 
enemies, which would not that I 
should reign over them, bring hither, 
and slay them before me;" Luke 
xix. 27. Jesus will continue to reign 
until all enemies are put under his 
feet ; 1 Cor. xv. 25. And how does 
he reign? We have already said, 
spiritually. He reigns by the power 
of his truth and of his life. His faith- 
fulness, his resignation, his piety, 
benevolence, love, have a great influ- 
ence over all his followers. In this 
sense, all faithful Christians, whose 
lives are an imitation of his, reign 
with him, in the proclaiming and 
illustrating of his truth and in the 
influence of their lives. But this they 
cannot do, unless they are faithful. 
"If we suffer, we shall also reign 
with him: if we deny him, he also 
will deny us 2 Tim. ii. 12. This 
reigning with Christ exists in any 



CHAPTER IV. 

AFTER this I looked, and 
behold, a door was opened 



place where Christians are faithful. 
We are not obliged to confine it to 
the immortal world. It is expressly 
declared to be on the earth. " Thou 
wast slain, and hast redeemed us to 
God by thy blood out of every kin- 
dred, and tongue, and people, and 
nation ; and hast made us unto our 
God kings and priests ; and we shall 

REIGN ON THE EARTH ReV. V. 9, 10. 

See also the notes on Rev. ii. 26, 27. 

22. He that hath an ear. — See the 
remarks on ii. 7, 11, 17, &c. 

CHAPTER IV. 

1. After this I looked. — After the 
things which had been described, I 
looked, &c. &c. We now enter on 
an entirely new section of the Apoca- 
lypse. The revelator had stated, in 
the commencement, the authority by 
which he spake ; and had described 
the actual state of the seven Asiatic 
churches, which perhaps were put 
forth as representatives of all the 
churches. Having finished so much, 
he proceeded to the prophetic parts 
of his communication. And let it be 
observed, the prophetic part of the 
Apocalypse begins with the verse 
now before us. The manner in which 
he had been prepared to make the 
communication to the seven churches, 
was described i. 10 ; and what he 
saw, he was instructed to write and 
communicate to those churches, ver. 
11. A distinct epistle was written to 
each church. He had spoken by the 
Spirit, or rather the Spirit had spoken 
by him ; and at the end of each 
epistle, he had called on men as fol- 
lows : " He that hath an ear to hear, 
let him hear what the Spirit saith 
unto the churches." And here it 
strikes the mind, that the language is 
not what the Spirit saith to the seven 
churches, but what the Spirit saith to 



CHAPTER IV. 



123 



in heaven: and the first voice 
which I heard, was as it were 

the churches, as if meaning the 
churches at large. The presumption 
is. that although John addressed only 
the seven, yet being put as represen- 
tatives of all the rest, they were 
all interested in the communications 
which he made. After he^ had con- 
cluded his communications to the 
seven churches, he came to the pro- 
phetic parts, which seem not to be 
addressed to those churches, but to 
the Christian world at large. Noth- 
ing more is said in the Apocalypse 
about the seven churches. The tes- 
timony is " to every man that heareth 
the words of the prophecy of this 
book xxii. 18. <jf I looked. — The 
word here is not to be taken in the 
ordinary acceptation of merely see- 
ing ; but is to be understood as hav- 
ing an insight, after the manner of 
the prophets, or seers, by which he 
was enabled to foretell the events 
which he subsequently described. 
^ Door was opened in heaven. — We 
take the opportunity, in this place, to 
offer a few remarks on the scrip- 
tural, and especially the apocalyptical, 
sense, of the word heaven. It is put, 
1st. For the region of the air. as when 
we speak of the fowls of heaven ; 
Rev. viii. 13 , x. 6 ; xiii. 13 ; xiv. 6 ; 
xvi. 21 ; xix. 17 ; xx. 9. 2d. It is 
put for the firmament, as when we 
speak of the sun in heaven, or the 
stars of heaven ; vi. 14 ; viii. 10 ; 
ix. 1; xx. 11. 3d. It is put for the 
imaginary dwelling-place of God. 
The firmament is but an imaginary 
place ; and in the same sense heaven 
may be understood when spoken of 
as God's dwelling-place. The form 
of God's existence is altogether mys- 
terious. We do not suppose we are 
to understand heaven, when spoken 
of as the dwelling-place of God, to 
be strictly a locality. It partakes of 
the metaphorical, the scenical. God. 
among the ancients, was supposed to 
dwell in any place where he specially 
manifested his presence. When Jacob 



of a trumpet talking with me ; 
which said, Come up hither, 

slept upon the ground, on his way 
towards Haran, he had a vision, and 
behold, a ladder was seen reaching 
from the earth to the heaven, on 
which the angels of God were ascend- 
ing and descending ; and he heard a 
voice above it saying, "I am the 
Lord God of Abraham, thy father.'' 
&cc. He awoke, with the spell of 
the dream upon him. " Surely (said 
he) the Lord is in this place, and I 
knew it not ; this is none other but 
the house of God, and this is the gate 
of heaven;" Gen.xxviii. 16, 17. As 
though he had said, this is the avenue 
to God's presence. The Jews of old 
supposed that God inhabited some 
spiritual dwelling, (if we may so 
speak,) which they called eternity, a 
high and holy place. They also sup- 
posed him to dwell in the humble 
and contrite spirit ; Isaiah Ivii. 15. 
This high and holy place, of which 
the Jews had an indistinct idea, they 
called heaven. But they held, from 
the earliest times, that God also dwelt 
among them. He dwelt beneath the 
cherubim, at the mercy-seat, upon 
the ark of the covenant ; 2 Kings xix. 
15 5 Psa. lxxx. 1 ; Isa. xxxvii. 16. 
In the case before us, it would seem 
that heaven was put for the supposed 
dwelling-place of God. This was 
represented to the Jews, in the temple, 
by the mercy-seat. By the door open- 
ing in heaven, may be understood 
the opening of the door, or gate, to 
the mercy-seat. If A trumpet talking 
with vie. — This was the first voice 
the revelator heard. He had seen no 
person, but he heard a voice, which 
seemed to be as if a trumpet had life, 
and had the power to talk. The 
meaning is, it was a trumpet-like 
voice. In the view of the ancient 
Hebrews, men could not see God 
with the outward eye. They could 
see a representation of him ; but it 
was not supposed they could see God 
himself; John i. 18 ; 1 Tim. vi. 16. 
There was a moral or spiritual sense, 



124 



REVELATION. 



and I will show thee things 
which must be hereafter. 

2 And immediately I was in 
the Spirit : and behold, a throne 
was set in heaven, and one sat 

in which the pure in heart could see 
him j Matt. v. 8. But though they 
could not see Jehovah, yet they could 
hear his voice, as was the case with 
Adam and Eve in the garden ; Gen. 
iii. 8. So the revelator heard the 
voice of the trumpet talking with 
him. We desire to remark once for 
all, that we regard the scenes described 
in this chapter to be purely metaphor- 
ical, as much so as the account of the 
temptation of our first parents, in the 
garden of Eden, by the serpent. He 
who should seek to interpret the lan- 
guage literally, would have confusion 
worse confounded. The design of 
the revelator seems to have been to 
represent, that he had a special oppor- 
tunity of approaching the Holy One, 
and of learning from him the events 
" which must be hereafter." The 
imagery is not real, but imaginative. 
It is a figurative description of the 
dwelling-place of the High and Holy 
One. See 2d, 3d, and 4th verses. 

Which must be hereafter. — This 
shows plainly that the prophetic part 
of the book is about to begin, for 
which the revelator was specially pre- 
pared by the communication with 
heaven. We were informed in Rev. 
i. 19, that John was directed to write 
the things which he had seen, the 
things which were, and the things 
which were to be afterward. The 
latter things are written in those 
parts of the Apocalypse which we 
have now approached. 

2. Immediately I was in the Spirit. — 
That is, "when the door was opened, 
and the trumpet voice talked with 
me, I was immediately in a spiritual 
frame of mind" — a fit and proper 
state in which to behold the things 
which he was to see and describe. 
IT A throne was set in heaven. — This 
was the first thing he saw after the 



on the throne. 

3 And he that sat was to look 
Upon like a jasper and a sardine 
stone : and there was a rainbow 
round about the throne, in sight 

door in heaven was opened. ^[ And 
one sat on the throne. — He saw not the 
being, and yet the sight impressed 
him with the fact that there was a 
being there. 

3. Like a jasper and sardine stone. — 
Beautiful, glorious ! Such was the 
appearance. These precious stones 
had great lustre. But this was not 
all that contributed to the brilliance 
of the scene. \ A rainbow round 
about the throne. — The description is 
intended to be of the most gorgeous 
kind. This description of the throne 
of God, and of the mysterious Being 
seated thereon, seems to us to be 
framed according to the descriptions 
given by Isaiah and Ezekiel. See 
the words of the former prophet : " I 
saw also the Lord sitting upon a 
throne, high and lifted up, and his 
train filled the temple. Above it 
stood the seraphims: each one had 
six wings : with twain he covered his 
face, and with twain he covered his 
feet, and with twain he did fly. And 
one cried unto another, and said, 
Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts : 
the whole earth is full of his glory. 
And the posts of the door moved at 
the voice of him that cried, and the 
house was filled with smoke ;" Isa. 
vi. 1 — 4. This vision appeared to 
the prophet to be in the temple ; for 
he said that the train of the Holy One 
"filled the temple." See also Eze- 
kiel chap, i., especially verses 26 — 28. 
" And above the firmament that was 
over their heads was the likeness of a 
throne, as the appearance of a sap- 
phire stone, and upon the likeness of 
the throne was the likeness as the 
appearance of a man above upon it. 
And I saw as the color of amber, as 
the appearance of fire round about 
within it, from the appearance of his 
loins even upward, and from the 



CHAPTER IV. 



125 



like unto an emerald. 

4 And round about the throne 



appearance of his loins even down- 
ward, I saw as it were the appear- 
ance of fire, and it had brightness 
round about. As the appearance of 
the bow that is in the cloud in the 
day of rain, so was the appearance of 
the brightness round about. This 
was the appearance of the likeness of 
the glory of the Lord. And when I 
saw it I fell upon my face, and I 
heard a voice of one that spake." 
Now we cannot have a doubt that 
the revelator found his images in 
the passages we have here quoted. 
They were not the creations of wild 
fancy in him ; he found them in the 
sacred books of the Jews. Compare 
with the above Ezek. x. 

4. Four-and-twenty seats. — This is 
a continuation of the imagery. Four- 
and-twenty exalted seats, or thrones, 
are placed around the throne of God. 
We say thrones, for those who sit on 
them have crowns upon their heads, 
as signs that they reign with God. 

Four-and-twenty elders. — First of 
all, who were the elders ? What kind 
of an officer were they ? The word 
itself signifies, a man of age, expe- 
rience, and dignity. We read of the 
elders often in the Old Testament, as 
well as in the New. They were the 
magistrates, heads, or rulers of the 
people. Even when the children of 
Israel were in bondage in Egypt, they 
seem to have had a kind of govern- 
ment, and there were among them 
some whom they owned as their 
teachers and rulers. Moses was di- 
rected to confer with them., previously 
to undertaking the deliverance of the 
people ; Exod. iii. 16 — 18. These 
elders were men of experience, wis- 
dom and gravity, and of authority 
among the people. Afterwards, when 
it became necessary for Moses to have 
assistance in governing the people, he 
was advised to appoint elders for that 
purpose. " Moreover thou shalt pro- 
vide out of all the people, able men, 
such as fear God, men of truth, hating 



were four and twenty seats ; 
and upon the seats I saw four 

covetousness ; and place such over 
them to be rulers of thousands, and 
rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, 
and rulers of tens : and let them 
judge the people at all seasons : and 
it shall be, that every great matter 
they shall bring unto thee, but every 
small matter they shall judge : so 
shall it be easier for thyself, and they 
shall bear the burden with thee ;" 
Exod. xviii. 21, 22. For the com- 
mission given to these men, see Deut. 
i. 16, 17. This appointment was 
confirmed by the authority of God; 
see Numb. xi. 16, 17 ; and these men 
ruled in conjunction with Moses; 
Deut. xxvii. 1 : And Moses with 
the elders of Israel commanded the 
people, saying, Keep all the com- 
mandments which I command you 
this day." With this explanation we 
shall be able to understand the mat- 
ter of the four-and-twenty elders in 
the passage before us. The form of 
the court of heaven was made with 
reference to the God-appointed form 
of government among the Jews. 
This form was held sacred in the 
eyes of the Jews ; and how natural 
was it therefore for the revelator, 
himself a Hebrew, when painting a 
scene of the presence of God, and . the 
heavenly court, to describe it after 
the sacred fashion of the Jews. It is 
true, we read, in one or two instances, 
of some slight changes in the govern- 
ment ; but a body of elders was al- 
ways clustered around the chief offi- 
cer, both in secular and holy matters. 
We read often of the elders in the 
New Testament as being the leaders 
of the Jewish people in their opposi- 
tion to Jesus and his apostles, as well 
as other matters. This led the Chris- 
tians to regard the elders as stiff- 
necked and rebellious men ; but it 
begat no prejudices in their minds in 
regard to the office itself. But why 
was the number twenty-four selected ? 
We read nowhere of that exact num- 
ber of elders except in the Apoca- 



126 REVELATION. 

and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment ; and they 



lypse. There probably existed some 
reason in the revelator's mind why 
he selected the number twenty-four. 
There are two reasons which may be 
assigned; and they present them- 
selves to our mind with a force so 
nearly equal, that it is difficult to 
state which has the most power. We 
will proceed to name them. 1st. There 
were twelve apostles in the Christian 
church. The Jewish and Christian 
religion were both divinely appointed 
institutions ; and it is possible, there- 
fore, that the revelator desired to rep- 
resent them both, by their elders, in 
the court of heaven. One elder for 
each of the twelve tribes, and one to 
answer to each of the twelve apostles, 
(who were regarded as the heads of 
the tribes of spiritual Israel, Matt, 
xix. 28,) would make up the number 
twenty-four. With this view, the 
court of heaven is composed, under 
the Father, of an equal number of 
representatives from both the Jewish 
and Christian institutions. The twelve 
Jewish tribes are sometimes used 
spiritually for the Jews converted to 
the Christian religion. See James i. 
1, and Rev. vii. The other reason to 
which we have referred, which per- 
haps induced the revelator to use the 
number twenty-four, is this : Under 
the reign of David the Jewish priests 
were divided into twenty-four orders, 
courses, or classes, as will be per- 
ceived by examining Numb. xxiv. 
The Christian believers, those who 
had entered Christ's spiritual king- 
dom, who had come to Mount Zion, 
the city of the living God, the heav- 
enly Jerusalem, were reckoned as 
kings and priests in God's sight. 
" Ye are a holy priesthood, to offer 
up spiritual sacrifices ;" 1 Pet. ii. 5. 
" Ye are a chosen generation, a royal 
priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar 
people ;" 9. The Christians con- 
fessed that they had been made 
" kings and priests unto God ;" Rev. 
i. 6 ; v. 10. " They shall be priests 
of God and of Christ, and shall reign 



with him a thousand years xx. 
6. By analogy, then, the Christian 
priests might be divided into twenty- 
four courses ; and each course hav- 
ing one representative in the court 
of heaven, would make the twenty- 
four elders. Whether one of these 
reasons, or both of them, operated on 
the 'mind of the revelator ; and if only 
one, which of the two, we must leave 
for the reader to determine. These 
elders perform no offices in the drama 
of the Apocalypse which are incon- 
sistent with their characters as rep- 
resentatives of the church, or of the 
holy men of both Jewish and Chris- 
tian dispensations. They are princi- 
pally distinguished by the devout and 
solemn worship which they rendered 
to God and the Lamb ; Rev. v. 8 ; 
xi. 16 ; xix. 4. % Clothed in white 
raiment. — We have already shown 
that inhabitants of the heavenly world 
are supposed to be clothed in white, 
as a sign of purity and of honor. See 
the notes on Rev. iii. 4, 5, 18. The 
redeemed were washed and made 
white in the blood of the Lamb ; i. 5 ; 
vii. 14. How appropriate it was, 
then, for the revelator to clothe his 
elders in white. Crowns of gold. — 
The Christians were kings as well as 
priests ; and hence the elders were 
represented each as having a crown 
of gold upon his head, which he wore 
in the presence of the Highest, who 
thus acknowledged the preeminence. 
The four-and-twenty seats on which 
they sat were (thronoi) thrones ; and 
we know of no reason why the word 
was not thus rendered, as in Matt, 
xix. 28. A brief review of what has 
been said on the subject before us, 
may present it now to the reader's 
mind in a more definite, clear and 
single light. In his figurative de- 
scription, John first puts a throne, 
with a glorious personage upon it, 
bright and beautiful to behold. 
Round about the throne was a rain- 
bow. It was encircled also with 
four-and-twenty minor thrones, on 



CHAPTER IV. 



127 



had on their heads crowns of 
gold. 



which sat as many elders, clothed in 
white, having on their heads crowns 
of gold. No one can suppose this 
description to be a reality ; it is pure- 
ly imaginative. We think the words 
of Dr. Doddridge are worthy of great 
attention : — " We are not to imagine 
that the person sitting on the throne, 
or the four animals, or the four-and- 
twenty elders, were real beings . ex- 
isting in nature ; though they repre- 
sented in a figurative manner things 
that did really exist. — And though it 
is possible that aerial scenes might, by 
divine or angelic power, have been 
formed, I think it much more proba- 
ble that all that passed was purely in 
the imagination of St. John. This 
will keep us, in our interpretation, 
clear of a thousand difficulties, not to 
say absurdities, which would follow 
from a contrary supposition : namely, 
that there is in heaven an animal in 
the form of a lamb to represent Christ; 
and that there are such living crea- 
tures as are here described, and that 
God himself appears in a human 
form, &c. And this observation I make 
once for all, desiring it may be re- 
membered, and applied as occasions 
present." — (See his Expos, on the 
place.) Such was Doddridge's opin- 
ion, and we have no doubt of its cor- 
rectness. The great truths of proph- 
ecy made known to John were doubt- 
less divine communications to him; 
but the imagery is to be understood 
as imagery merely. We have al- 
ready shown what suggested these 
metaphors to the mind of the revela- 
tor. He, doubtless, obtained them 
from the Old Testament. It is a 
common metaphor of the Old Testa- 
ment writers to represent God as sit- 
ting on a throne, all glorious in ap- 
pearance. The scene of John's vis- 
ion, says Lightfoot, " is according to 
the scheme of the temple, and the 
divine glory there. And hence you 
have mention of the altar, candle- 



5~ And out of the throne pro- 
ceeded lightnings, and thunder- 



sticks, sea of glass, the ark of the 
covenant, and the like. And as at 
the opening of the temple doors, a 
trumpet sounded, — so is the allusion 
here. The door in heaven opened, 
and a trumpet calls John to come in 
and see what was there. — (Harmony 
of the New Testament.) The same 
author says again, — " The revel ator 
seeth Christ enthroned in the middle 
of his church, in the same prophetic 
and visionary emblem that Ezekiel 
had seen ; Ezek. i. and x. ; and this 
is a commentary and fulfilling of that 
scene that Daniel speaketh of; vii. 
9, 10, 22. In Ezekiel the Lord, 
when Jerusalem was to be destroyed, 
and the glory of the Lord that used to 
be there, and the people, were to flit 
into another land, — appeareth so en- 
throned as sitting in judgment and 
flitting away by degrees to another 
place, as compare Ezek. i. and x. well 
together. So Christ here, when the 
destruction of Jerusalem was near at 
hand, and his glory and presence 
[were about] to remove from that na- 
tion, now given up to unbelief and 
obduration, to reside among the Gen- 
tiles, — he is seated upon his throne, 
as judge and king, with glorious at- 
tendance, to judge that nation for 
their sins and unbelief, and stating 
the affair of his church, whither his 
glory was now removing." — (Har- 
mony of the New Testament.) We ex- 
plain the figures in this chapter on the 
same principle on which we explain 
similar imagery in the 24th and 25th 
chapters of Matthew. The appear- 
ance of God's dwelling-place is drawn 
from that of the camp of Israel. 1. 
The tabernacle was in the middle 
there ; so is the throne here. 2. 
There, the four squadrons of the 
camp of Levi next the tabernacle ; 
so here, the four living creatures. 3. 
There, the whole camp of Israel ; so 
here, twenty-four elders, representa- 
tives of the whole church, built from 



128 



REVELATION. 



ings, and voices. And there 
were seven lamps of fire burn- 
ing before the throne, which 



twelve tribes and twelve apostles ; or 
reference may be made to the twenty- 
four courses of priests. 

5. And out of the throne. — This 
description is given to correspond 
with the ancient notions of the Jews 
in regard to the signs that attended 
the presence of Jehovah. The scene 
is drawn as if there were some pow- 
erful being present, invisible to the 
outward eye, but who made his pres- 
ence known by the lightnings, thun- 
derings and voices. Whether there 
was anything in the temple service, 
answering to this, we would not say 
with certainty ; we feel more confi- 
dence that the revelator drew the 
metaphor from the account given by 
Moses of the presence of God upon 
the mount. " And it came to pass 
on the third day in the morning, that 
there were thunders and lightnings, 
and a thick cloud upon the mount, 
and the voice of the trumpet exceed- 
ing loud ; so that all the people that 
was in the camp trembled. And 
Moses brought forth the people out 
of the camp to meet with God ; and 
they stood at the nether part of the 
mount. And mount Sinai was alto- 
gether on a smoke, because the Lord 
descended upon it in fire : and the 
smoke thereof ascended as the smoke 
of a furnace, and the whole mount 
quaked greatly. And when the voice 
of the trumpet sounded long, and 
waxed louder and louder, Moses 
spake, and God answered him by a 
voice j 1 ' Exod. xix. 16 — 19. This 
shows that the ancient Jews did not 
describe. God as a being they could 
see ; but his presence "was denoted in 
the manner here pointed out. % Seven 
lamps of fire. — These answered to the 
golden candlestick with seven lamps, 
which was before the most holy place 
in the tabernacle. The seven lamps 
of fire (i. e. lighted or burning lamps) 
are said to be the seven spirits of 



are the seven Spirits of God. 

6 And before the throne there 
was a sea of glass like unto 



God ; that is, they represented the 
seven spirits of God. This descrip- 
tion is taken from Ezek. i. 13. " As 
for the likeness of the living crea- 
tures, their appearance was like burn- 
ing coals of fire, and like the appear- 
ance of lamps : it went up and down 
among the living creatures ; and the 
fire was bright, and out of the fire 
went forth lightning." We have 
shown under former passages what 
is meant by the seven spirits of God. 
Earthly monarchs. who maintained 
the most magnificence, had seven 
spirits, or confidential ministers, 
dwelling near their persons. They 
were the means of access which the 
subjects had, in the most of cases, 
with their sovereign. They, there- 
fore, were called his spirits ; and be- 
cause they were watchful to see all 
that was done and report to their 
master, they were sometimes repre- 
sented, as in Rev. v. 6, by seven eyes 
going out into all the earth, meaning 
thereby, far-seeing eyes. See Ezra 
vii. 4 ; Esther i. 10, 14 ; Jer. iii. 25 ; 
1 Esdras viii. 11 - Tobit xii. 15. See 
particularly our notes on. Rev. i. 4 
and iii. 1. The seven spirits of God 
were represented by seven lamps, as 
the seven stars (like lamps) repre- 
sented the angels of the seven 
churches, and the seven candlesticks 
represented the seven churches them- 
selves ; Rev. i. 20. Having described 
the throne and Him that sat on it, 
so far as appearances were made to 
mortal eyes, and also the court of 
heaven, the revelator proceeds, in the 
next place, to show what was in front 
of the throne. 

6. A sea of glass like unto crystal. 
— This was before the throne. Ob- 
serve, it is not a sea of water, but a 
sea of glass, clear, beautiful, like 
unto crystal. It was a plain, level, 
beautiful surface, — not liquid, but 
called a sea, because it was so 



CHAPTER IV. 



129 



crystal : and in the midst of the throne, and round about the 



transparent, that the figures of per- 
sons were reflected from it as if it 
were water. The floor, or pavement 
before the tabernacle, on which the 
people stood to worship God, was 
composed of plates or slabs, highly 
polished. It looked like glass, and 
when persons stood upon it, their 
images were so clearly reflected, that 
they seemed almost to be standing 
on the open sea. Hence, we read, 
Rev. xv. 2, " And I saw as it were a 
sea of glass mingled with fire ; and 
them that had gotten the victory over 
the beast, and over his image, and 
over his mark, and over the number 
of his name, stand on the sea of 
glass, having the harps of God." 
They stand on the sea of glass, — for 
so the pavement seemed to be ; and 
they had the harps of God, because 
they came there to praise him ; it 
was the place on which the people 
stood when they assembled to sing in 
chorus the sacred songs of the temple. 
% In the midst of the throne. — The 
beings referred to had a very near 
approach to the throne ; they were 
nearer to it than were the four-and- 
twenty elders. The cherubim seemed 
to be in the midst of the ark. " For 
the cherubims spread forth their two 
wings over the place of the ark, and 
the cherubims covered the ark and 
the staves thereof above ;" 1 Kings 
viii. 7 ; 2 Chron. v. 8 ; Heb. ix. 5. 
From this near relation which the 
cherubim held to the throne, came the 
idea of the revelator. Four beasts, 
or rather four living creatures. — The 
four beasts were hieroglyphical rep- 
resentations, though the 'word beasts 
seems to be an unfortunate transla- 
tion ; for they certainly are described 
as intelligent beings, " saying, Holy, 
holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which 
was, and is, and is to come." " It 
w,as a most unhappy mistake in our 
translators, (says Dr. Doddridge,) to 
render the word zoa, beasts ; it cer- 
tainly signifies any other kind of 
animals, that is, of creatures which 



have animal life, as well as beasts. 
The word beast not only degrades 
the signification, but the animals 
here mentioned have parts and ap- 
pearances which beasts have not, and 
are represented as in the highest 
sense rational." The revelator seems 
to have copied from Ezekiel in this 
description. To describe the ap- 
proach of Jehovah, the prophet said, 
" The heavens were opened, and I 
saw visions of God;'' 1 chap. i. 1. 
" And I looked, and behold a whirl- 
wind came out of the north, a great 
cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and 
a brightness was about it, and out of 
the midst thereof as the color of 
amber, out of the midst of the fire. 
Also out of the midst thereof came 
the likeness of four living creatures. 
And this was their appearance ; they 
had the likeness of a man. And 
every one had four faces, and every 
one had four wings. And their feet 
were straight feet; and the sole of 
their feet- was like the sole of a calf 's 
foot ; and they sparkled like the color 
of burnished brass. And they had 
the hands of a man under their wings 
on their four sides ; and they four 
had their faces and their wings. 
Their wings were joined one to an- 
other ; they turned not when they 
went ; they w r ent every one straight 
forward. As for the likeness of their ■ 
faces, they four had the face of a 
man and the face of a lion, on the 
right side : and they four had the 
face of an ox on the left side ; they 
four also had the face of an eagle. 
Thus were their faces ; and their 
wings were stretched upward ; two 
wings of every one were joined one 
to another, and two covered their 
bodies. And they went every one 
straight forward ; whither the Spirit 
was to go, they went ; and they turn- 
ed not when they went. As for the 
likeness of the living creatures, 
their appearance was like burning 
coals of fire, and like the appearance 
of lamps : it went up and down 



130 



REVELATION. 



throne, were four beasts full of 1 eyes before and behind. 



among the living creatures ; and the 
fire was bright, and out of the fire 
went forth lightning. And the liv- 
ing creatures ran and returned as the 
appearance of a flash of lightning;" 
4 — 14. On this long description we 
shall offer a few remarks. The 
Egyptians, from the earliest antiqui- 
ty, were in the habit of writing, es- 
pecially on sacred subjects, in hie- 
roglyphics. In truth, sacred writing 
is what the word signifies etymo- 
logically. The people of Egypt had 
exercised a great influence over the 
Jews, especially in consequence of 
the long bondage which they had suf- 
fered there. It was there, perhaps, 
that the latter improved in the art 
of this kind of writing — expressing 
ideas by images. In the passage 
just quoted from Ezekiel, we have 
a sample of the hieroglyphical style. 
And at what did the prophet aim? 
Answer : To give a description of 
the unseen Deity. He had said, (ver. 
1,) £< I saw visions of God;" i. e., 
emblems and symbols of the divine 
majesty. His object was to describe, 
by emblems, the attributes of God. 
The Jews never professed to see God. 
He was, in their estimation, a spir- 
itual being ; but still he was actually 
a being, possessing all the attributes 
of the most perfect intelligence. In 
the prophet's attempt to give a hier- 
oglyphical representation, he sought 
for the most wonderful powers pos- 
sessed by any creatures ; and these 
powers he represents by the images 
of the creatures themselves, as is 
always done in hieroglyphics. Some 
of these powers he found in one kind 
of a creature, and some in another ; 
and in bringing them together, they 
form an anomalous animal, such as 
never existed, and probably never 
will exist. When we are studying 
hieroglyphics, therefore, we are not 
to think so much of the outward ap- 
pearance of the symbol, be it ever 
so anomalous, as of the qualities in- 
tended to be represented by it. The 



idea which men have of an angel, is 
that of a being of extraordinary in- 
telligence, having the power of pass- 
ing from world to world, especially 
from heaven to earth, and from earth 
to heaven. How, then, is the angel 
described hieroglyphically ? Answer : 
As a being that we have never seen 
— a human being with wings. So in 
the description of Ezekiel, his aim 
being to describe powers all of which 
were not found in the same creature, 
he was obliged to conjoin different 
creatures ; and in this way he pro- 
duced his anomalous animals. But 
it is not to the form of the animals 
we are to look, but to the qualities 
which he represented by them ; and 
these qualities were such as he sup- 
posed God to possess. In the first 
place he described the approach of 
the Deity. He came in a whirlwind 
[a sign of great power] ; he rode on a 
brilliant cloud, in the centre of which 
was a flame, whose effulgence shined 
out like amber. Out of this cloud 
came the likeness of four creatures, to 
represent the powers or attributes of 
God. And this was their appearance : 
they had the likeness of a man. Pre- 
eminently, then, the prophet desired 
to give the idea of intelligence. Every 
one had four faces, and every one 
had four wings. There never was 
in reality such a creature ; but let us 
see what it represented. By four 
faces they saw in every direction, 
showing the simultaneous vision 
which God has of all parts of the 
universe. Man, the noblest of all 
God's lower works, can see but one 
way at a time ; but God can see all 
things, and in all directions, at a 
glance. So much for the four faces. 
By their wings they could fly, — they 
could pass from place to place 
through the air. Their feet were 
straight ; they went every one straight 
forward ; ver. 12. They were bril- 
liant, sparkled like burnished brass, 
like the feet of the Son of man, men- 
tioned Rev. i. 15. They had the 



CHAPTER IV. 



131 



7 And the first beast was like 
a lion, and the second beast like 
a calf, and the third beast had a 
face as a man, and the fourth 
beast was like a flying eagle. 

hands of man ; and hence all the 
skill denoted by the human hand 
was attributed to God. This is the 
highest degree of skill possessed by 
any creature ; had there been great- 
er, the prophet would have chosen it. 
Their wings were joined ; and thus, 
although they had the powers of dif- 
ferent beings, yet there was a sense 
in which they were one. All the 
powers of the four were designed to 
represent the powers of the Being 
who called himself One Lord. They 
turned not when they went ; for as 
each had four faces, there was no 
need that they should do so. Man, 
the most perfect being on earth, 
sees but one way at the same time. 
He must therefore turn his body 
when he wishes to change his direc- 
tion. To take away what would be 
an imperfection in the Deity, the 
prophet gives his images each four 
faces ; and hence they turned not 
when they went, but went every one 
straight forward. And now as to the 
likeness of their faces. Each one 
had the face of a man, — intelli- 
gence ; the face of a lion, the king 
of beasts, — majesty, strength; the 
face of an ox, — [a sacred animal 
which the Egyptians worshipped; 
hence the golden calf of the children 
of Israel,] denoting strength, pa- 
tience, faithful labor ; the face 
of an eagle, — soaring, piercing. 
The eagle soars to the highest height, 
and he has the most piercing sight. 
Now let any man, even of the most 
brilliant fancy, put himself into the 
age in which Ezekiel lived, and see 
if he can devise an image which will 
describe more fully and correctly the 
attributes of the Deity. The whole 
of the tenth chapter of Ezekiel is on 
the same subject. Both chapters 
contain the prophet's description of 



S And the four beasts had 
each of them six wings about 
him. ; and they were full of eyes 
within : and they rest not day 
and night, saying, Holy, holy, 

what he called "the appearance of 
the likeness of the glory of the 
Lord ;" i. 28. ^ Full of eyes. — See 
Ezek. i. 18 ; x. 12. It is evident the 
revelator had Ezekiel's description 
in his mind. The revelator's words 
are, " full of eyes before and behind," 
i. e., on every side. They had faces 
every way, and, of course, they had 
eyes every way. The eye is the 
metaphor for sight and intelligence ; 
and the idea is, that God can see and 
understand all things at a glance. 

7. Like a lion. — This is evidently 
a copy from Ezekiel's hieroglyphics ; 
i. 10. Like a calf. — Ezekiel said, 
ox ; they are of the same species. 
\ Face as a man. — This also comes 
from Ezekiel. % Flying eagle. — No 
one, we should think, could doubt 
that the revelator followed the proph- 
et. He was not writing the effusions 
of a sickly brain, but copying from 
the standard sacred books of the 
Jews ; and when the intent of these 
metaphors is seen, and their force 
and power understood, they are 
known to convey ideas of the great- 
est grandeur concerning the Deity. 

8. Six wings. — Ezekiel's images 
had wings. Full of eyes. — We 
have already noticed this under ver. 
6. T[ Rest not day or night, i. e., cease 
not from their glorious employment ; 
abate not from the expression of their 
reverence. This distinction is very- 
necessary to be observed, because it 
is said of the worshippers of the hor- 
rible Roman beast, that they " have 
no rest day nor night ;" xiv. 11. But 
the words in the case before us have no 
such sense as the words bear in the 
latter quotation. ^[ Holy, holy, holy. 
— Thrice holy art thou, O Lord God 
Almighty. This is the most solemn 
form of ascription in all the Bible. 
Isaiah has a figure very like Eze- 



132 



REVELATION. 



holy, Lord God Almighty, which 
was, and is, and is to come. 

9 And when those beasts give 
glory, and honor, and thanks to 
him that sat on the throne, who 
liveth for ever and ever, 

10 The four and twenty el- 

kiel's, and the two appear to have 
been mingled in the revelator's mind. 
" Above it stood the seraphims : each 
one had six wings : with twain he 
covered his face, and with twain he 
covered his feet, and with twain he 
did fly. And one cried unto another, 
and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the 
Lord of hosts : the whole earth is 
full of his glory Isaiah vi. 2, 3. 
TT Was, and is, and is to come. — An 
assertion of the eternal being of God, 
covering wholly the past, the present, 
and the future. 

9. Those beasts give glory. — They 
are, in the description of the revela- 
tor, not only images to represent 
God's attributes, but they are also 
agents to execute his will ■ and 
thence they worship him. They 
were next to the throne of God ; and 
not only represent his attributes to 
us, but also, as the agents of his 
will, are invested with those attri- 
butes, that they may be his ministers 
the more effectually. Standing next 
the throne, they set the example of 
adoration, — an example which at 
once infuses itself throughout the 
heavenly hosts. 

10. Four and twenty elders fall down. 
— They imitated the four living crea- 
tures in their adoration before the 
throne. All heaven worships God ; 
all earth should worship Him. % That 
liveth for ever and ever. — God is end- 
lessly existent ; the Being who is, 
and was, and is to come. % Cast 
their crowns. — Why they wore those 
crowns we have shown under ver. 4. 
But when engaged in acts of worship, 
they are represented as taking them 
from their heads, and laying them 
down before the throne. The pur- 
port of this is, that they were moved 



ders fall down before him that sat 
on the throne, and worship him 
that liveth for ever and ever, 
and cast their crowns before the 
throne, saying, 

11 Thou art worthy, Lord, 
to receive glory, and honor, and 

to say, " In thy sight we are, Lord, 
as nothing. Thou art our Creator. 
All we are thou hast caused us to be. 
And although thou hast honored us 
by making us kings and priests in 
thy church; still we know, that of 
ourselves alone, we are not worthy 
of distinction. We render all the glo- 
ry to thee." 

11. Thou art worthy. — The song 
which they sung is one of great sig- 
nificance. It consists of three parts, 
and is in fact the substance of all the 
anthems of praise contained in the 
Apocalypse. 1st. " Thou art wor- 
thy, O Lord, to receive glory, and 
honor, and power." 2d. "For thou 
hast created all things.'' 3d. " And 
for thy pleasure they are and were 
created." God's worthiness to re- 
ceive homage from his creatures 
arises from the fact that he is their 
Creator, and that he has made them 
for a great and glorious purpose. He 
made them for his pleasure. He has 
no pleasure in the death of the wick- 
ed, Ezk. xxxiii. 11, and therefore he 
did not create them for endless death • 
and although the wicked die, tempo- 
rarily, this is not the end in which 
God rests as his design, for he has no 
pleasure in their death as such, and 
permits its reign only for a time, and 
for a good purpose. Adam Clarke 
has a fine remark on this passage : 
" God made all things for his pleas- 
ure ; and through the same motive 
he preserves. Hence, it is most evi- 
dent, that he hateth nothing that he 
hath made ; and could have made no 
intelligent creature with the design to 
make it eternally miserable. It is 
strange that a contrary supposition 
has ever entered into the heart of 
man ; and it is high time that the 



CHAPTER V. 



133 



power, for thou hast created all 
things, and for thy pleasure they 
are and were created. 



benevolent nature of the Supreme 
God should be fully vindicated from 
aspersions of this kind." Thus we 
have seen that the fourth chapter of 
the Revelation contains a hieroglyph- 
ical representation of the supposed 
dwelling-place of God, of the attri- 
butes of the Deity, and the court 
of heaven. God is described as wor- 
thy of the highest worship* from all 
beings in heaven and on earth. In 
closing our notes on this chapter it is 
proper to remark, that the imagery 
is kept up in the revelator's mind 
through the whole Apocalypse. See 
iv. 6, 8, 9 ; v. 6, 14 ; vi. 1, 6 ; vii. 11 ; 
xiv. 3 ; xv. 7 ; xix. 4. 

CHAPTER V. 

1. And I saw. — John here con- 
tinues the vision which he commenced 
to describe in the preceding chapter. 
He had painted the supposed celestial 
residence, with the throne of God, 
and the retinue that surrounded him, 
and rendered him divine honors ; and 
he now proceeds, in the same style, 
to the rest of his vision. ^[ In the 
right hand. — God held the book ; it 
was the record of his will ; it was 
in his care ; and could not be re- 
vealed until the proper time, and the 
proper revelator came. % A book 
written within and on the back side. — 
Book is not so good a translation as 
the word roll. The books of the an- 
cients, in outward form and con- 
struction, were very different from 
ours. When we read, as in Rev. vi. 
14, that heaven departed as a book 
when it is rolled together, we see 
the absurdity of translating the Greek 
word in every case by book ; and 
hence the translators render it in that 
verse by scroll. The books of the an- 
cients consisted of long scrolls, gener- 
ally parchments, sewed or pasted 
together, and fastened at the ends to 
two rollers. In the case before us the 
12 



CHAPTER V. 

AND I saw in the right hand 
of him that sat on the 



book is said to have been written 
" within and on the back side." How 
could a mere English reader under- 
stand this? To such a reader the 
last term thus applied would be un- 
derstood to mean the cover, which is 
not very fit for being written on 5 and 
would, besides, contain no more than 
might have been contained in one 
additional leaf, though the book had 
consisted of a thousand leaves. Now, 
the long scrolls or books of the an- 
cients were seldom written but on one 
side, here said to be within, because 
that side was turned inward in roll- 
ing. When any one of these scrolls 
was written on both sides, it contained 
twice as much as if written in the 
usual way. See Ezek. ii. 9, 10. The 
chief intention of the revelator, in 
mentioning this circumstance, must 
have been to signify that this volume 
was replete with information, and 
that its contents were not to be meas- 
ured by its size. — (Campbell, Diss. ii. 
part i. sec. 3.) Sealed. — Is not 
this the same book referred to by 
Daniel? " But thou, O Daniel, shut 
up the words and seal the book, even 
to the time of the end xii. 4. " And 
he said. Go thy way, Daniel ; for the 
words are closed up and sealed till 
the time of the end;" ver. 9. Daniel 
had foretold the destruction coming 
upon Jerusalem ; but he was directed 
to seal the roll until the time of the 
end. When the prophet foretold an 
event that was not to be of speedy 
occurrence, he was directed to seal 
up the sayings as if no use was to be 
made of the writings at that time, but 
the fulfilment was to be waited for. 
If, however, the event was near at 
hand, then the roll was for immediate 
use ; it was not to be laid away ; it 
was to be kept open. Hence we read, 
at the conclusion of the Apocalypse, 
" Seal not the sayings of the proph- 
ecy of this book, for the time is at 



134 



REVELATION. 



throne a book written within 
and on the back side, sealed 
with seven seals. 



hand;" xxii. 10. Seven seals. — 
The book (or rather roll) was sealed 
with seven seals. It was divided into 
seven different parts, and each part 
was sealed by itself. This is easily- 
understood, if we keep in mind the 
idea of the roll. One part was writ- 
ten, and rolled up and sealed. An- 
other was then written, rolled upon the 
former, and also sealed ; and so on to 
the end. Thus, although there was 
but one roll, or book, there were 
seven parts to it, each part being 
sealed by itself It might have been 
divided into more parts, but seven is 
the perfect number of the Apocalypse, 
and hence that division. These parts 
could be taken off and read one alter 
the other ; and thus one seal would 
be opened at a time. The account of 
the opening of these seals we shall 
find in the 6th, 7th and 8th chapters 
of the Apocal) T pse. They are the 
seven seals into which John was per- 
mitted to look, one after another. 
When John wrote the Book of Rev- 
elation, the end was near. He fore- 
told things that were " shortly to come 
to pass." The time for unsealing 
Daniel's book had come. It was the 
book of God's dealings with the Jews, 
or his will concerning the punishment 
of that people. Jesus had foretold 
their destruction ; he had unfolded 
the purpose of God respecting them, 
and thus had opened the sealed book. 

2. A strong angel. — We take ad- 
vantage of this place to offer certain 
remarks on the angelology of the 
Apocalypse. It has already been in- 
timated by us, that John makes much 
use of angels in his descriptions. 
The heathen had long believed in the 
existence of spiritual intelligences, 
such as we call angels, both good 
and bad. The Jews unquestionably 
became infected with their notions. 
The metaphorical language of the 
Bible, therefore, is sometimes framed 



2 And I saw a strong angel 
proclaiming with a loud voice, 
who is worthy to open the 



as if the heathen notions on these 
subjects were correct ; but we have 
no belief that Jesus or his apostles 
intended to recognize the heathen 
fables concerning spirits 'to be true, 
any more than they intended to ac- 
knowledge the doctrine of actual pos- 
sessions. That there are good angels, 
who execute the will of God, we al- 
low. It is" consistent both with Scrip- 
ture and reason to think so. But 
that there is a chief prince of dark- 
ness, the leader in all that is evil, the 
tempter of mankind, having a legion 
of ministers or imps at his command, 
is unreasonable, and exists only in 
the language of allegory. God is 
omnipotent. He shares dominion 
with none. We do not hold the 
opinion of the Manicheans, viz., the 
existence of two eternally opposite 
principles. Man is tempted when he 
is drawn away of his own lust and 
enticed. This will account for all 
sin, without the agency of any other 
tempter. But in the parables, met- 
aphors, and allegories of the Bible, 
evil spirits are introduced, not to ac- 
knowledge their real existence, but 
for scenical purposes. Did Jesus in- 
tend to acknowledge the Jewish ideas 
of heaven, when he spoke of Abra- 
ham's bosom ? or the heathen notions 
of hades, when he spoke of the great 
gulf? Dr. Macknight sa3 r s, "In par- 
abolical discourses, provided .the doc- 
trines inculcated are strictly true, the 
terms in which they are inculcated 
may be such as are most familiar to 
the ears of the vulgar, and the im- 
ages made use of such as they are 
best acquainted with." — (Par. and 
Com. on Luke xvi.) We reject, 
therefore the notion of evil angels. 
God is good ; and the messengers, 
who fulfil his pleasure, who inhabit 
his presence, must be good also. So 
much we should infer from the Scrip- 
tures. • The angel who came down 



CHAPTER T 



135 



book, and to 
thereof ? 



loose the seals | 3 And no man in heaven, nor 
in earth, neither under the 



from heaven to announce to the shep- 
herds the birth of the Eedeemer is a 
proof of the existence of good angels. 
But here let us remark, that we 
do not suppose all the good angels 
John mentions in the Apocalypse 
were actual existences, any more 
than the throne was an actual throne, 
or the four living creatures, or the 
four and twenty elders, were actual 
beings. They are introduced to fill 
up the imagery, and are to be re- 
garded as merely scenical, like the 
cherubim and flaming sword which 
guarded Eden, after the expulsion of 
our first parents : Gen. iii. 24. The 
angels introduced by John may be 
classed as follows : 

1. The apocalyptical angel, who 
revealed the whole Apocalypse to 
John, and who is mentioned only at 
the beginning and the close ; Rev. i. 
1 : xxii. 6, 8. 

2. The angels of the churches, rep- 
resenting the leaders or ministers 
of those churches ; i. 20 ; ii. 1, 8 ; 12, 
18; iii. 1, 7, 14. 

3. Angels of proclamation ; v. 2 ; 
viii. 13 ; xiv. 6, 8. 9. 15 ; xviii. 1, 2, 21. 

4. Angels round about the throne, 
to adore and honor the Father, who 
were innumerable ; v. 11; vii. 11. 

5. Angels of the elements, viz., 
Of the wind; vii. 1. Of fire; xiv. 
18. Of the waters; xvi. 5. 

6. Angel of the seal of God ; vii. 2. 

7. Angels of destruction ; vii. 2. 
Here may also be put the angel with 
a sickle ; xiv. 17, 19. The seven 
ansrels of the plagues ; xv. 1, 6, 7, 8 ; 
xvi. 1, 2, 3. 4, 8. 10, 12, 17 ; xvii. 1, 
3, 7, 15 : xxi. 9, 17. 

8. Angels of presence. Of these 
there were seven, who are sometimes 
represented by seven lamps, and 
again by seven eyes ; t. 4; iii. 5. 
Thev did the dutv of trumpet angels ; 
viii. 2, 6, 7, 8,. 10, 12, 13; ix. 1, 13, 
14 ; X. 7 ; xi. 15 ; xiv. 10. 

9. Angel of the golden censer ; viii. 
3, 4, 5. 



10. Angel of the bottomless pit ; 
ix. 11. 

11. Angels (four) m the river Eu- 
phrates ; ix. 14. 15. 

12. Angel who declared the end of 
time ; x. 1, 5, 8, 9, 10 ; xi. 1. 

13. Angels of Michael ; xii. 7. 

14. Angels of the Dragon ; xii. 
17 9. 

15. Angel of the altar ; xvi. 7. 

16. Angel of the sun ; xix. 17. 

17. Angel with the key of the bot- 
i tomless pit ; xx. 1 — 3. 

18. Angels of the gates of the New 
Jerusalem ; xxi. 12. 

We repeat that these angels are 
not to be regarded, in all eases, as 
actual beings. Some of them were 

I so, as the angels of the seven 
churches ; but in general they are 
merely scenical, and are introduced 
to preserve the forms of the allegory, 
or drama. The angel mentioned in 
the verse now under examination, 
was one of the angels of proclama- 

[ tion, who inquired, with a loud voice, 
- Who is worthy to open the book, 
and to loose the seals thereof?'' 
If Open the book. — The book was 
certainly the one mentioned in the 
preceding verse ; and, as we have 
said, it was the one which Daniel was 
ordered to seal up. The opening of 

I the book shows that the events fore- 
told by Daniel, and which he was 

; ordered to seal up because they were 

! not to be fulfilled in his day. were 
about to take place at the time the 

! re velator wrote. Daniel's description 

[ is in the following words : il And at 
that time shall Michael stand up, the 
great prince which standeth for the 
children of thy people ; and there 

I shall be a time of trouble, such as 
never was since there was a nation 

■ even to that same time ; and at that 
time thy people shall be delivered, 
every one that shall be found written 
in the book. And many of them that 
sleep in the dust of the earth shall 

I awake, some to everlasting life, and 



136 



REVELATION. 



earth, was able to open the book, 
neither to look thereon. 

4 And I wept much, because 
no man was found worthy to 

some to shame and everlasting con- 
tempt. And they that be wise shall 
shine as the brightness of the firma- 
ment ; and they that turn many to 
righteousness, as the stars forever 
and ever;" Dan. xii. 1 — 3. This cer- 
tainly had respect to the destruction 
of Jerusalem ; for so our Lord him- 
self applied the prophecy, Matt. xxiv. 
21. The judgment mentioned by 
Daniel was the judgment which took 
place at that time; John v. 22 — 29. 
Compare carefully all the texts here 
named. The book which Daniel 
sealed being about to be opened, 
shows that the events foretold by that 
prophet are those which are described 
by the revelator in the second section 
of the Apocalypse, and that they re- 
ferred to the destruction of Jerusalem. 
For the opening of the seven seals, 
see chapters vi. vii. and viii. 

3. Heaven, earth, neither under the 
earth. — The meaning here is simply 
this : no man was there in the uni- 
verse who could break the seven 
seals of the book. Heaven, earth 
and under the earth, is a periphrasis 
for the universe. See remarks on 
Rev. v. 13. No man could disclose 
the meaning of the sealed roll of 
Daniel : it was not in the power 
of human reason or philosophy to 
foretell events yet future. Daniel's 
prophecy had respect to events that 
were far future when he wrote ; they 
were also future, but were near at hand, 
when the revelator wrote Who should 
foretell them ? Who should be able 
to show with certainty the matters to 
which Daniel referred, and trace them 
out in their several particulars ? No 
mere man could do it. The angel chal- 
lenged ; and no man could answer. 

4. I wept much. — That is, the rev- 
elator wept much. This is in keep- 
ing with the general character of this 
part of the vision. As it would have 



open, and to read the book, 
neither to look thereon. 

5 And one of the elders saith 
unto me, Weep not : behold, the 

been a matter of very great sorrow to 
all good Christians if the sealed vision 
of Daniel had not been opened to their 
understandings, so the revelator rep- 
resents himself as weeping when no 
man dare come forward at the chal- 
lenge of the angel. We think this is 
all that the imagery of these three 
verses is designed to convey. 

5. One of the elders. — That is, one 
of the four-and-twenty elders men- 
tioned in the preceding chapter. This 
is introduced merely to fill up the im- 
agery, and to prepare the reader for 
what is to come. % The lion. — The 
lion is the king of beasts. It is a re- 
markable fact that both Jesus and the 
adversary are compared to the lion. 
Compare 1 Peter v. 8 with the pas- 
sage before us. The reason is, that 
the lion is the king of beasts, — an 
animal of great power. The lion, 
when he stands for the adversary, is 
enraged, — a roaring, furious lion. 
If Of the tribe of Juda. — Judah was 
one of the sons of Jacob ; Gen. xxix. 
35. He it was who saved the life of 
Joseph; who suggested to his breth- 
ren intent on his death, the selling of 
him to the Ishmaelites ; Gen. xxxvii. 
20—22 and 26—27. He was always 
regarded as the most powerful of all 
Jacob's sons. When the dying patri- 
arch called his children around him 
to tell them what should befall them 
in the latter days, he said, "Judah, 
thou art he whom thy brethren shall 
praise ; thy hand shall be in the neck 
of thine enemies ; thy father's chil- 
dren shall bow down before thee- 
Judah is a lion's whelp; from the 
prey, my son, thou art gone up : he 
stooped down, he couched as a lion, 
and as an old lion ; who shall rouse 
him up?" Gen. xlix. 8, 9. The 
twelve tribes into which the Jews 
were divided were named after Ja- 
cob's twelve sons. These twelve 



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CHAPTER V. 



137 



Lion of the tribe of Juda, the 
Root of David, hath prevailed 

tribes continued united as one state, 
one people, and one monarchy, till 
after the death of Solomon, when ten 
of the tribes revolted from the house 
of David, and formed the kingdom of 
Israel. Judah's tribe was the most 
powerful and numerous. He gave 
his name ultimately to all the descen- 
dants of his father, — Judsei, or Jews, 
and to the promised land they had 
inherited, Judea. In consequence of 
the superiority of Judah and his 
tribe, some striking emblem was 
necessary for their banner ; and from 
the words of his dying parent, choice 
was made of the lion. Judah con- 
tinued a distinct tribe until the Mes- 
siah came; G-en. xlix. 10. From 
these facts will easily be gathered the 
reason why Jesus was compared to 
the lion of the tribe of Judah. He 
sprung from that tribe ; Heb. vii. 14. 
That was the most powerful tribe, 
and existed until his birth. It was to 
give an idea of the Redeemer's power 
that he was compared to the lion, the 
king of beasts ; and as the lion was 
the distinguishing emblem of the tribe 
of Judah, and as our Lord belonged 
to that tribe, he was called " the lion 
of the tribe of Judah." ^ Root of 
David. — Jesus is called in another 
place, "the root and offspring of 
David;" Rev. xxii. 16. It will be 
time enough to consider the apparent 
confusion of figures in that phrase- 
ology, when we come to the place. 
Jesus is called " the root of Jesse," 
David's Father ; Isa. xi. 10 ; comp. 
Rom. xv. 12 ; and for the same rea- 
son, "the root of David." The fam- 
ily of David sprang from Judah ; and 
David was king of that tribe. The 
greatest fact in its history was the 
fact that our Lord sprang from it ; 
and perhaps it was in reference to this 
event, in part, that God directed the 
minds of the people to take the lion, 
the emblem of majesty and strength, 
as their emblem. They would prob- 
ably not have been distinguished in 



to open the book, and to loose 
the seven seals thereof* 

this manner, had it not been foreseen 
by prophetic vision that our Lord 
would spring from that tribe. In a 
very important sense, therefore, he 
was the cause of its greatness, and 
consequently of the distinction given 
to Jesse and his son David. He was 
their Lord. David in spirit called 
him Lord ; Matt. xxii. 42—45. For 
this reason he is said to have been 
the Root of David. David, in his 
greatness, grew up as a branch out 
of the greatness of Judah ; and our 
Lord was the principal source of the 
greatness of that tribe. *{[ Prevailed 
to open the book. — And how ? Be- 
cause the Spirit of the Lord was upon 
him. Had not the Father gifted him 
with more than human wisdom, he 
could not have foretold the future but 
near-approaching calamities of the 
Jews. Jesus was a prophet, as well 
as a priest and a king. He therefore 
could prevail to open the sealed book 
of the future. The Spirit of God 
rested upon him, — the spirit of wis- 
dom and understanding, — the spirit 
of counsel and might, — the spirit of 
knowledge and the fear of the Lord ; 
Isa. xi. 2. Examine our Lord's 
prophecies. He foretold the defection 
of Judas ; he forewarned his follow- 
ers that they would desert him ; he 
assured Peter that before the dawn 
of the coming day he would deny him 
thrice ; he foretold his own death, and 
the sacrificial character of it ; his 
resurrection from' the dead, and the 
length of time which should intervene 
between his death and his resurrec- 
tion ; he foretold his appearance in 
Jerusalem after his resurrection; the 
preaching of the gospel throughout 
the then known world ; and the won- 
derful catastrophe of the destruction 
of Jerusalem, with all its accompani- 
ments of wonders and sufferings. He 
was indeed a prophet, and he pre- 
vailed to open the book and to loose 
the seven seals thereof. 

6. In the midst of the throne, &cc. — 



138 



REVELATION. 



6 And I beheld, and lo, in 
the midst of the throne, and 
of the four beasts, and in the 



The meaning here seems to be as 
follows : I saw, between the throne 
and the four beasts, and in the midst 
of the elders who were seated round 
about the throne. This would bring 
the Lamb the nearest to the throne 
of any, except him who sat upon it. 
Jesus shares the honor of heaven 
with the Father. He is exalted far 
above principalities and powers, at 
the right hand of the majesty on high. 
The throne is therefore called "the 
throne of God and the Lamb Rev. 
xxii. 1. T[ A Lamb. — This is the 
emblem which the revelator delighted 
to apply to the Lord Jesus. It is a 
figure borrowed from the sacrifices 
of the Jews. The lamb was used in 
sacrifice ; and being the most harm- 
less and innocent of animals, and 
Jesus being a sin-offering for the 
whole world, he is called " the Lamb 
of God, who taketh away the sin of 
the world;" John i. 29, 36. Such 
was the origin of the figure. Isaiah 
represents Jesus under that emblem ; 
liii. 7 ; and this matter came up for 
consideration between Philip and the 
Ethiopian; Acts viii. 32. With the 
exception of the instances referred to, 
and an additional one in Peter, no 
other New Testament writer mentions 
Christ under the figure of a Lamb, 
except John. And it is difficult for 
us to resist the conviction that Peter 
quoted his language from the Apoca- 
lypse ; compare 1 Pet. i. 19, 20, with 
Rev. xiii. 8. If this supposition be 
correct, the date of the Apocalypse 
was much earlier than critics gen- 
erally have placed it, For instances 
in which John in his Gospel speaks 
of Christ as a Lamb, see ch. i. 29, 36. 
For the occurrence of the metaphor in 
the Apocalypse, see v. 6, 8, 12, 13 ; 
vi. 1, 16; vii. 9, 10, 14, 17; xii. 11; 
xiii. 8 ; xiv. 1, 4, 10 ; xv. 3 ; xvii. 
14 ; xix. 7, 9 ; xxi. 9, 14, 22, 23, 27 ; 
xxii. 1. If Slain. — The revelator 



midst of the elders, stood a 
Lamb as it had been slain, hav- 
ing seven horns, and seven eyes, 



says, this Lamb had the appearance 
of having been slain. This is an 
evident reference to the crucifixion 
of Jesus, and it serves to fix the appli- 
cation more directly upon him. " A 
Lamb as it had been slain'' was an 
expressive emblem of "Jesus and 
him crucified." What marks there 
were about the Lamb to denote that 
he had been offered in sacrifice, we 
shall not undertake to conjecture. 
There could arise no possible benefit 
from it. Without it we get the great 
fact intended to be conveyed, viz., 
that the Lamb which appeared before 
the throne was one which had been 
manifestly offered in sacrifice ; and 
was, therefore, a very fit emblem of 
the Lord Jesus Christ, who died on 
the altar of sacrifice for the sins of all 
men. % Having seven horns. — The 
horn is a sign of power. All animals 
which have horns find their power 
in them. They are their means of 
defence. The horn was a very com- 
mon metaphor among the ancients. 
The Lord exalted the horn of David, 
and the horn of his people ; he break- 
eth the horn of the ungodly ; he cut- 
teth off the horn of Moab ; he cut- 
teth off in his fierce anger all the 
horn of Israel. Being about to rep- 
resent Jesus under the figure of a 
Lamb, and wishing also to ascribe 
great power to him, no metaphor that 
could be conceived of would have 
been more agreeable to the prevalent 
manner of writing at the time, than 
to invest the Lamb with horns ; and 
as seven was a number denoting 
completeness and perfection, seven 
horns conveyed the idea of perfect 
power. T[ Seven eyes. — Here is the 
same number of eyes as of horns ; 
and the seven eyes, we are told, are 
the seven spirits of God sent forth 
into all the earth. It is remarkable 
how a slight circumstance will some- 
times make an apparently difficult 



CHAPTER V. 



139 



which are the seven Spirits of 
God sent forth into all the earth. 
7 And he came and took the 



matter very plain. How did the 
prophet Zechariah represent the all- 
pervading vision of God? Ans. By 
" seven eyes j" ch. iii. 9. And in the 
next chapter he said, " they are the 
eyes of the Lord, which run to and 
fro through the whole earth;" iv. 10. 
Here, evidently, the revelator found 
his metaphor; and there is another 
metaphor in this section of Zecha- 
riah' s prophecy, of which we shall 
see, in another place, that the reve- 
lator made great use. By the seven 
eyes of the Lamb, sent forth, as the 
angels of God, unto all the earth, was 
signified his all -pervading vision. 

7. And he [the Lamb] came and took 
the book. — Did the Lamb take the 
book ? inquires Prof. Stuart ; or was 
the head only a lamb, and the rest a 
human figure? Thus he goes on 
with his questions. It seems to us 
that the true explanation is, that the 
revelator passes easily from the met- 
aphor to the being signified by it. 
The Lamb, i. e., he who was signified 
by the Lamb, took the book. ^[ Out 
of the right hand of him that sat upon 
the throne. — That is, he derived all 
his knowledge from the Father. The 
latter is represented as having the 
roll in possession, and as giving it 
into the hands of Jesus Christ, who is 
mentioned under the figure of the 
Lamb. The events that were re- 
vealed by the opening of the seals, 
one after another, must be looked for 
in the succeeding chapters. The 
remainder of this chapter is occupied 
with a description of the worship ren- 
dered to the Lamb, in consequence 
of his proceeding to open the book, 
and also to the Father. 

8. Fell down before the Lamb. — The 
living creatures, and the four-and- 
twenty elders, fell down before the 
Lamb. This was the common form 
of respect. It was often done when 
worship, especially divine worship, 



book out of the right hand of 
him that sat upon the throne. 
8 And when he had taken 



was not intended. But worship was 
intended in this place ; for there are 
all the accompaniments of worship. 
The worshippers all have harps in 
their hands, and golden vials full of 
odors. Some think it wrong to wor- 
ship Christ. They believe that God 
alone ought to be worshipped. Christ 
they declare is a creature, and divine 
honors ought not to be paid to him. 
To this we do not agree. We allow 
that God alone ought to be worshipped 
as God ; and the living creatures and 
the elders, as we shall see, did not 
worship the Lamb as God the Father. 
It is true that Christ is a creature ; 
but he is also something else. He is 
" the Lamb of God that taketh away 
the sin of the world ;" and this can 
be said of no other being in heaven 
or on earth. If by divine honors be 
meant the honors due to God alone, 
we allow that such honors ought not 
to be paid to Christ ; but if by divine 
honors be merely meant honors paid 
to a divine person, then Jesus is enti- 
tled to divine honors. We cannot 
possibly, in any way, understand the 
chapter which we are now examin- 
ing, if Jesus may not rightfully be 
worshipped. But more on this sub- 
ject as we proceed. T[ Having every 
one of them harps. — This certainly is 
figurative, for it cannot be supposed 
there could be harps in the celestial, 
spiritual, immortal state. The harp 
was an instrument that had been 
long known to the Jews, and was 
much used in their temple service ; 
see 1 Chron. xiii. 8 ; xv. 16 ; 2 Chron. 
v. 12 ; Neh. xii. 27 ; Psa. xxxiii. 2. 
John's vision of heaven seems to 
be drawn almost wholly from the 
arrangements for the religious ser- 
vices of the Jews ; and the worship 
in heaven is made to bear a strong 
resemblance to that of the temple. 
For further remarks on the mention 
made of the harp in the Scriptures, 



140 



REVELATION. 



the book, the four beasts, and 
four and twenty elders fell down 
before the Lamb, having every 
one of them harps, and golden 



see notes on Kev. xiv. 2. ^[ Vials 
full of odors. — In the temple ser- 
vices, incense was wafted unto the 
throne of God. The incense was 
mingled with rich odors. It was a 
representation of the prayers of the 
saints. While the priest offered in- 
cense within, the people prayed with- 
out ; and the priest, by the incense, 
sent up the prayers of the people. 
See Luke i. 10 : " And the whole 
multitude of the people were pray- 
ing without, at the time of incense." 
This agrees with Fsa. cxli. 2 : " Let 
my prayer be set forth before thee as 
incense, and the lifting up of my hands, 
as the evening sacrifice." Did not 
the revelator get his figure from this 
verse? ^[ Which are the prayers of 
saints. — He evidently set forth the 
prayers of the saints as incense. That 
these saints were on earth, not in the 
immortal state, is evident from verse 
10, below. Dr. Hammond says, " It 
is evident that the saints here are the 
Christian people upon earth, and not 
the saints which reign in heaven. 
And this also is agreeable to the 
notion of odors, by which their prayers 
are expressed. For those refer to the 
incense which the priests were wont 
to offer in the sanctuary whilst the 
people prayed without, (Luke i. 10,) 
and their prayers were supposed to 
go up with that incense to heaven. 
By this it also appears that the four 
living creatures, and four and twenty 
elders which have here the vials in 
their hands, as also the harps, the one 
to denote the prayers, the other the 
praises of the Christians, are the 
apostles and bishops of Judea, (as in 
the laying of the scene appeared, ch. 
iv.,) whose office it was to present the 
prayers and praises of the Christians 
to God ; and so by all these together, 
the Christian persecuted church of 
Judea (and by consent with them all 



vials full of odors, which are the 
prayers of saints. 

9 And they sung a new song, 
saying, Thou art worthy to take 



other Christians over the world) are 
represented here, as those that had now 
their prayers heard, and those by the 
destruction of their persecutors turned 
into praises." — See Com. on ver. 8. 

9. And they sung. — Who sung? 
Ans. The four living creatures, and 
the four and twenty elders, mentioned 
in the preceding verse as falling down 
before the Lamb. % New song. — 
And this new song is in the following 
words : " Thou art worthy to take the 
book, and to open the seals thereof: 
for thou wast slain," &c. This was 
called a new song, as if it never had 
been sung before ; for who could sing 
the song of redeeming love, until the 
Lamb was slain ? No such song 
was ever sung in the religious ser- 
vices of the Jews j they sung the 
praises of God ; but never sung of 
the redemption of the world through 
Christ. The song of redeeming love, 
the song of redemption from sin and 
error, and the moral exaltation of 
men through Jesus Christ, — that is 
the new song. None can sing this 
song except such as have been re- 
deemed by Christ ; and it shall be 
sung at last by all, when every knee 
shall bow, and every tongue shall 
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to 
the glory of God the Father ; Phil. ii. 
9 — 11. Rev. xiv. 3 : " And they sung 
as it were a new song before the 
throne, and before the four beasts and 
the elders : and no man could learn 
that song but the hundred and forty 
and four thousand, which were redeemed 
from the earth." The new song, there- 
fore, must be the song of redeeming 
love ; which all will sing, when the 
work of redemption is complete. Is 
it not certain, then, that the four liv- 
ing creatures and the four and twenty 
elders stand, in this case, as represen- 
tatives of the redeemed ? *ft Thou art 
worthy. — It is a song of praise to the 



\ 



CHAPTER V. 



141 



the book, and to open the seals 
thereof: for thou wast slain, 
and hast redeemed us to God 
by thy blood out of every kin- 
dred, and tongue, and people, 
and nation ; 

Lamb. The phraseology is some- 
what similar to what we found in 
Rev. iv. 11: "Thou art worthy, O 
Lord, to receive glory, honor, and 
power," &e. And why was the Lamb 
worthy? and what was he worthy 
of? We shall find answers to these 
questions in the following words. 
^ To take the book. — He was worthy 
to take the book, and to loose the 
seals thereof. There was an honor 
in being permitted to do this ; and 
the Lamb was worthy of that honor. 
IT Thou mast slain. — This was the 
reason why he was worthy. He had 
given himself up to the cruel death 
of the cross, and. suffered and died. 
He had not done this merely for the 
obtaining of glory. His own advan- 
tage was not what he was seeking. 
If -And hast redeemed, us. — It was for 
the good of others that he suffered 
and died. What more could he do ? 
It is the highest gift a man can 
bestow, to surrender his own life. 
Such was the sacrifice Jesus made ; 
and on that account he was worthy to 
take the book and open the seals 
thereof. ^ By thy blood. — That is, 
by thy death. In consequence of 
Christ's death and resurrection, [and 
the latter could not have taken place 
without the former,] they had been 
redeemed. They had believed on 
him ; they had obtained a knowledge 
of his word ; and by faith in his 
death, and resurrection, and teach- 
ings, they had been delivered from 
their errors and their sins. This is 
what is meant by being redeemed by 
the blood of Christ. The blood is the 
metaphor for his death and for his 
doctrine. ^[ Out of every kindred. &c. 
— These were the first fruits ; they 
were not the general harvest. They 
were redeemed out of every nation, 



10 And hast made us unto 
our God kings and priests : and 
we shall reign on the earth. 

11 And I beheld, and I heard 
the voice of many angels round 
about the throne, and the beasts, 

and kindred, and people and tongue. 
They were not Jewish Christians 
only ; they were gathered from every 
nation ; from the Gentiles as well 
as the Jews. The Gentiles were to 
praise, and honor, and glorify, Christ 
as the Lamb of God, who taketh away 
the sin of the world. And what was 
to become of every nation, and kin- 
dred, and people, and tongue, out of 
whom these early converts, these first 
fruits, were gathered? Were they 
always to remain strangers to Christ ? 
We shall see as we proceed. 

10. Kings and priests. — This is 
still a part of the new song. The 
redeemed acknowledged that the 
Lamb had made them kings and 
priests unto God. They reigned with 
Christ in his moral kingdom. They 
had power over the nations to rule 
them; Rev. ii. 26, 27; also, i. 6. 
They joined with Christ in his kingly 
and priestly office ; and so all true 
Christians will do, until he shall 
deliver up the kingdom to God, the 
Father, f On the earth. — This part 
of the song is surely not to be for- 
gotten. This living and reigning 
with Christ is on the earth. Faithful 
Christians are kings and priests unto 
God, on the earth. How does Jesus 
reign on the earth? In what sense 
is he a king? He reigns over the 
hearts and consciences of men ; he is 
a spiritual king. Every pure-hearted 
Christian is joined with him in this 
reign, and exercises a like -influence, 
though vastly below him, of course, 
in point of power. 

11. Of many angels. — In his fur- 
ther description of the celestial abode, 
John saw vast numbers of angels 
round about the throne, and round 
about the beasts and the elders. The 
number of them was illimitable. We 



142 



REVELATION. 



and the elders : and the number 
of them was ten thousand times 
ten thousand, and thousands of 
thousands ; 

12 Saying with a loud voice, 

perceive here, that the beasts and 
elders are not to be regarded as rep- 
resentatives of angels, but of the 
church on earth. *fi Number of them. 
— That is, the number of the angels 
was ten thousand times ten thousand 
and thousands of thousands. And 
what does this mean, only that they 
were innumerable? This phraseol- 
ogy is borrowed from the Old Testa- 
ment. " The chariots of God are 
twenty thousand, even thousands of 
angels ; the Lord is among them, as 
in Sinai, in the holy place ;" Psa. 
Ixviii. 17. Possibly the revelator had 
his mind on this passage, and possi- 
bly it was on the words of Daniel. 
" A fiery stream issued and came 
forth from before him ; thousand 
thousands ministered unto him, and 
ten thousand times ten thousand stood 
before him ;" vii. 10. The author 
of the Epistle to the Hebrews copies 
this phraseology in his description of 
the heavenly Jerusalem. "Ye are 
come unto mount Sion, and unto the 
city of the living God, the heavenly 
Jerusalem, and to an innumerable 
company of angels ;" xii. 22. 

12. Loud'voice. — The mingling of 
so many voices w,ould be well de- 
scribed by a loud voice. The inten- 
tion of the revelator was not to give 
the idea that every one spoke as 
loudly as he could ; but that such an 
innumerable host making an ascrip- 
tion together, it would of course be 
loud. This, therefore, furnishes no 
justification for the vociferous exhor- 
tations and prayers "of some Chris- 
tians. Worthy the Lamb. — How 
can we refrain from quoting one 
verse of that beautiful hymn of 
Watts ? 

"Worthy the Lamb, that died," they cry, 

" To be exalted thus ;" 
" Worthy the Lamb," our hearts reply, 

" For he was slain for us/' 



Worthy is the Lamb that was 

slain to receive power, and riches, 
and wisdom, and strength, and 
honor, and glory, and blessing. 
13 And every creature which 

They worshipped the Lamb that was 
slain ; but they worshipped him not 
as God. for the worship of the Lamb 
is in all cases kept distinct from the 
worship of him "who sitteth on the 
throne." The Lamb is not in a sin- 
gle instance represented as the being 
that sitteth on the throne. But even 
though the Lamb is not worshipped 
as God, but as the Redeemer, yet in 
the latter character he is " "Worthy to 
receive [ascriptions of] power, and 
riches, and wisdom, and strength, 
and honor, and glory, and blessing. 7 ' 
This is a magnificent eulogium. And 
here we see again the tendency of the 
revelator's mind to the perfect num- 
ber seven. The points of ascription 
were seven, and the evident intent 
was to frame as grand an eulogium 
as the mind could conceive. 

13. And every creature, &c. — Here 
was something additional to all that 
had been said. The first worship 
which John saw rendered was offered 
by the four living creatures, and the 
four and twenty eiders, viz., the rep- 
resentatives of the church on earth j 
Rev. iv. 9—11. They fell down 
before Him that sat on the throne. 
They worshipped, at first, the Father 
only, for the Lamb had not then been 
seen. "When the Lamb took the 
book, to open the knowledge of it to 
men, then the four living creatures 
and the elders fell down before him, 
and rendered the prayers and praises 
of all the redeemed, who had been 
taken from "every kindred and 
tongue and people and nation." But 
a sublimer scene was yet to appear. 
All the hosts of heaven joined in the 
worship : angels, the number of 
whom w r as " ten thousand times ten 
thousand, and thousands of thou- 
sands," said with a loud voice, "'"Wor- 
thy is the Lamb that was slain," &c. 
Here all heaven is included, as well 



CHAPTER V. 



143 



is in heaven, and on the earth, 
and under the earth, and such 

as all who had been redeemed on 
earth, " out of every kindred, and 
tongue, and people, and nation ver. 
9. To understand the true intent of 
the revelator in these matters, we 
must look carefully at his object and 
his plan. The great subject of all 
the praise 'was, that the Lamb had 
prevailed to open the seals of the 
book ; ver. 9. All that follows in 
this chapter is designed to reflect 
honor upon him, in connection with 
the Father. That is the great point 
at which the revelator aims. His 
object was not to teach how many 
Christ died to save, — or how many 
had at that time been redeemed, 
— or how many angels there were, — 
or whether all mankind shall at last 
be saved. We say, these were not 
his objects. We may, indeed, very 
safely make inferences from what he 
said, in regard to these subjects. His 
remarks are extraordinary, and very 
valuable, as affecting important ques- 
tions in theology; but those points 
were not the subjects to which he 
directed his descriptions. His whole 
object was to glorify the Lamb. He 
carries him up to the highest point of 
honor ; and puts all beings but God 
himself beneath him. And what is 
the plan followed by the revelator? 
We regard the passage, from the 8 th 
to the 14th verse of this chapter, as 
one of the most eloquent which the 
Apocalypse contains. There are three 
classes who are summoned to aid in 
ascribing glory to the Lamb. 1st. 
Those who had been redeemed out 
of every nation, and kindred, and 
people, and tongue. 2d. All the 
angelic world, the number of whom 
was ten thousand times ten thousand, 
and thousands of thousands.. And 
as though this were not sufficiently 
brilliant, he summoned, 3d. "Every 
creature in heaven, and on earth, and 
under the earth, and in the sea, and 
all that are in them." We are 
inclined to regard the whole as sceni- 1 



as are in the sea, and all that 
are in them, heard I saying, 

cal, — the creation of the revelator' s 
glowing fancy, — to set forth, in the 
highest manner of which he was 
capable, the honor and glory which 
were due to the Lamb of God. Such 
being the principle on which we 
receive the language, we now proceed 
to make such inferences as seem to 
us to be justifiable. 

That the four living creatures, and 
the four and twenty elders, existed 
only in the imagination of John, has 
already been stated by us. But they 
formed the court of heaven, in John's 
description, and he calls all heaven 
to his aid in rendering honor to the 
Lamb. The second class that were 
named had an actual existence, viz., 
the redeemed. There were many 
who had been brought to know Christ, 
and had been redeemed out of every 
nation, and kindred, and people, and 
tongue. These also John calls to his 
aid in magnifying the Lamb. In the 
third place, he summons all man- 
kind, — every intelligent creature in 
the universe, to aid him in praising 
the Lamb ; and the language which 
he puts into their mouths is this, — 
" Blessing, and honor, and glory, and 
power, be unto him that sitteth upon 
the throne ; and unto the Lamb, for- 
ever and ever." . Some writers, and 
among them Prof. Stuart in his late 
work on the Apocalypse, would try to 
make out that the revelator did not 
intend to embrace all mankind in his 
description; that the word all here, 
is not intended to signify every one, 
but is used merely in a general sense. 
For ourself, we shall despair of ever 
being able to frame language which 
will include all mankind, if this does 
not. It seems to us that the phrase- 
ology of the revelator is peculiar. 
He must, have intended all intelligent 
beings. This is the grandest periph- 
rasis in the whole Bible, the fullest 
circumlocution. It is no wonder that 
Prof. Stuart said, several years ago, 
" Things in heaven, earth, and under 



144 



REVELATION. 



Blessing, and honor, and glory, 
and power, be unto him that 
sitteth upon the throne, and unto 



the earth, is a common periphrasis of 
the Hebrew and New Testament wri- 
ters for the universe, (ta pan, or 
ta panta, the ALL, the WHOLE.)" 
But further, when John is speaking 
of those redeemed on earth, he says 
they came "out of every kindred, 
and tongue, and people, and nation ;" 
ver. 9. But not so here in ver. 13. 
There is no reference made to the 
out of ; the WHOLE (ta panta) are 
represented as praising God and the 
Lamb. Mark the language : " Every 
creature which is in heaven, and on 
the earth, and under the earth, and 
such as are in the sea, and all that 
are in them, [there is an intentional 
avoiding of the out of,] heard I say- 
ing, Blessing, and honor," &c, &c. 

Why should John summon less 
than all intelligent beings ? Can any 
reason be assigned ? Would his plan 
have been rendered any more perfect 
by summoning a part only of the 
human race? Those who maintain 
that his language had respect to a 
part only, ought to feel themselves 
able to establish the following three 
points : First, they should show, that 
the language employed by John was 
such as a man would naturally use 
in speaking of a part of the human 
race. Second, they should show, that 
for a part to be called on to praise 
Christ, and not the whole, was more 
consistent with the plan which John 
then had in his mind, than if the 
whole had been thus called on. And 
who will undertake that ? Third, 
they should show, that for a part to 
be called on, and not the whole, was 
more consistent with the character of 
the Lamb of God, and the objects for 
which he labored as the mediator 
between God and men, than if the 
whole had been thus called on. We 
do not suppose, that John's purpose in 
the passage we have considered was 



the Lamb, for ever and ever. 

14 And the four beasts said, 
Amen. And the four and twenty 



to teach any particular theological 
tenet. It was not the design he had 
in view. He was seeking to show 
the praise of which Christ was wor- 
thy • and he represented all beings in 
the universe, especially those who 
had been, and who were to be, re- 
deemed by him, as joining in his 
praise. One can scarcely conceive 
why he should have done this, why 
he should have used the expressive 
language he employed to represent 
all intelligent beings, if he had be- 
lieved, as some Christians in this day 
do, that a large portion of those for 
whom Jesus died will never, either 
in time or eternity, receive any ben- 
efit from his mission. Supposing the 
revelator to have entertained the 
opinions of the Calvinistic divines, 
is it probable that he would have 
used the language which he did use ? 
If they were engaged in a work 
of the imagination, to describe the 
honor that Jesus shall receive, would 
they summon all intelligent beings, 
without distinction, and represent 
them all as joining in ascriptions of 
praise to Christ? It is highly im- 
probable. It seems to us very unrea- 
sonable to suppose that the revelator 
did not intend to embrace all intelli- 
gent beings in his description; the 
whole form and force of his language 
tend to show that he did mean to 
embrace them all. 

14. The four beasts said, Amen. — 
They responded most devoutly to the 
worship rendered by every intelligent 
creature. *J[ Four and twenty elders 
fell down, &c. — This is the conclu- 
sion of the grand scene which the 
revelator' s fancy had conceived. All 
heaven and earth, indeed the whole 
universe, are described as worship- 
ping, in the most devout and solemn 
manner, him that liveth forever and 
ever. % Liveth forever and ever. — 



CHAPTER VI. 



145 



elders fell down and worshipped 
him that liveth for ever and 
ever. 



This phraseology may be applied to 
the Father or the Son. In this case, 
we think Jesus was intended. 

CHAPTER VI. 

In the fifth chapter We had an 
account of the book sealed with seven 
seals, (ver. 1,) which the Lion of the 
tribe of Juda (viz., Jesus Christ) 
" prevailed to open, and to loose the 
seven seals thereof ;" ver. 5. In the 
chapter before us, we have an account 
of the opening of the seals, and of the 
events which were revealed thereby. 
There is, however, this exception, that 
after the opening of the sixth seal the 
events described in all the seventh 
chapter took place, and the opening- 
of the seventh seal is not made known 
until we come to the eighth chapter, 
ver. 1. The whole account, it must 
be remembered, is allegorical. By 
the opening of the seals, one after 
the other, is intended, we think, the 
making known of the events to the 
revelator. He was permitted to 
u come and see " what was " shortly 
to come to pass." As he had been 
previously ignorant of these events, 
the book in which they were said to 
be written was a sealed book to him. 
The contents were hidden; and the 
events being then future, no man 
could reveal them, — no man could 
break the seals, — no one could do it 
except the Son of God. The time 
had come for breaking the seals, and 
for making the events known. We 
are now to proceed to the description 
of the things future, — the prophetical 
parts of the Apocalypse. In i. 19, 
John was directed as follows : " Write 
the things which thou hast seen, and 
the things which are, and the things 
which shall be hereafter." At the 
beginning of chap. iv. the revelator 
said, " After this I looked, and behold, 
a door was opened in heaven ; and the 

13 



CHAPTER VI. 

A ND I saw when the Lamb 
_OL opened one of the seals, 

first voice which I heard, was as it were 
of a trumpet talking with me ; which 
said, Come up hither, and I will show 
thee things which must be hereafter ;" 
iv. 1. The whole of the fourth and 
fifth chapters are taken up with 
John's imaginary description of the 
dwelling-place of God, the court of 
heaven, the appearance of the Lamb, 
the praise rendered to him, &c. &c. ; 
so that it is not until we come to the 
sixth chapter, that we find the de- 
scription of the things that were to be 
hereafter. They were future in the 
time of John but yet not far distant. 
They were "shortly to come to pass." 

Wc have said "that we have now 
come to the prophetical part of the 
Apocalypse. It is a prophecy in the 
form of allegory, like that of Daniel. 
And there is one remarkable fact, 
which ought to be most deeply im- 
pressed upon the reader's mind, viz., 
that the facts disclosed in this section 
of the Apocalypse are the main or 
principal facts which were disclosed 
by our Lord in his memorable proph- 
ecy of the destruction of Jerusalem, 
recorded by Matthew, Mark and 
Luke, but most fully by the first 
named. The revelator scarcely re- 
cords a fact, in regard to the destruc- 
tion of Jerusalem, which may not be 
found in our Lord's prophecy. The 
style is different, although our Lord 
did not neglect, in his description, 
the use of metaphor. The revelator, 
however, carries the metaphorical 
style much further ; it spreads into 
the allegorical, in his hands ; and his 
images are to be ranked among the 
boldest and loftiest ever conceived. 
To show how strictly he followed our 
Lord's prophecy, let us take notice of 
the events which our Lord foretold. 
These events were as follows : 

1st. The PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL, 

and its prevalence among all nations. 
"And this Gospel of the kingdom 



146 



REVELATION. 



and I heard, as it were the noise 
of thunder, one of the four beasts, 
saying, Come and see. 

shall be preached in all the world for 
a witness unto all nations, and then 
shall the end come Matt. xxiv. 14. 

2d. "Wars. "And when ye shall 
hear of wars and rumors of wars, see 
that ye be not troubled ; for all these 
things must come to pass, but the 
end is not yet Matt. xxiv. 6. 

3d. Famines; and, 

4th. Pestilence. ££ And there shall 
be famines, and pestilences, and 
earthquakes in. divers places Matt, 
xxiv. 7. 

5th. The darkening of the sun and 
moon, and the stars falling from heaven, 
&cc, &c. ; Matt. xxiv. 29, 30. 

As we progress in our examination 
of the chapter before us, it will be 
seen whether these are the subjects 
which are treated of therein. 

1. I saw. — The revelators vision 
still continued. ^[ The Lamb. — He 
saw the Lamb open one of the seals. 
The Lamb had prevailed to open the 
seals ; i. e., he had obtained power to 
do it, and he had made it manifest 
that he had that power; v. 7, 8. 

One of the seven seals. — He opened 
one of the seven seals, and John 
heard a voice, like as of thunder, 
which was that of one of the four liv- 
ing creatures, (Rev. iv. 6,) saying to 
him, " Come and see ;" i. e., there is 
something further for thee to know. 
Thunder, by a very natural meta- 
phor, was regarded by the ancients as 
the voice of God. See John xii. 28, 
29. The sound thereof comes from 
heaven ; it is full f majesty ; and 
we know of no'.nng on which men 
might more r .adily fix as a repre- 
sentative o ( j-od's voice, than this. 

2. A white horse. — John, in this 
connection, introduces four horses, 
whose colors were white, red, black, 
and pale ; verses 2, 4, 5, 8. We shall 
proceed to ascertain what these four 
horses represent ; and we shall follow 
the laws by which we ought to be 
governed, in interpreting scriptural 



2 And I saw, and behold, a 
white horse : and he that sat on 
him had a bow; and a crown 

metaphors. The horse is a noble 
animal, and was employed by the 
ancients, as well as the moderns, in 
war. Job's description of the war- 
horse (in the 39th chapter) is highly 
poetical, and of great power. A man 
starting on any expedition, in the 
days of the revelator, would most 
probably take a horse to ride upon ; 
and hence the going forth of a horse 
represented the commencement of an 
expedition, and its progress in the 
world. John, perhaps, obtained the 
metaphors of his four horses from 
Zech. i. and vi. In the latter chapter 
the prophet has four horses, of differ- 
ent colors, to represent different expe- 
ditions. The nature of the expedi- 
tion, whether it be for good or for 
evil, is to be determined by the color 
of the horse. White being the sym- 
bol of joy, felicity and prosperity, and 
white horses being used by victors on 
their days of ixiumph, are the symbol 
of certain victory and great triumph 
upon that account, f He that sat on 
him. — Who it is rides on the white 
horse of the Apocalypse, may be 
learned by consulting Rev. zix. 11 — 
16 : " And I saw heaven opened, and 
behold, a white horse ; and he that 
sat upon him was called Faithful and 
True, and in righteousness he doth 
judge and make war. His eyes were 
as a flame of fire, and on his head 
were many crowns ; and he had a 
name written, that no man knew but 
he himself. And he was clothed with 
a vesture dipped in blood : and his 
name is called The Word of God. 
And the armies which were in heav- 
en followed him upon white horses, 
clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 
And out of his mouth goeth a sharp 
sword, that with it he should smite 
the nations : and he shall rule them 
with a rod of iron : and he treadeth 
the wine-press of the fierceness and 
wrath of Almighty God. And he 
hath on his vesture and on his thigh 



CHAPTER VI. 



147 



was given unto him : and he 
went forth conquering, and to 
conquer. 

3 And when he had opened 
the second seal, I heard the 
second beast say, Come and see. 

4 And there went out an- 
other horse that was red : and 
power was given to him that 
sat thereon to take peace from 

a name written, KING OF KINGS, 
AND LORD OF LORDS." The 
" word of God' 7 is precisely what 
John, called Jesus ; Gospel i. 1 ; i 
Epis. v. 7. It was Jesus, then, who 
sat on the white horse ; and he had a 
bow, the sign of strength and vic- 
tory, — and a crown, the sign of roy- 
alty. And he went forth in his king- 
dom, conquering and to conquer. See 
Psa. xlv. 3 — 7. Here is described 
the introduction of the kingdom of 
Christ, and the establishment of the 
Gospel among men. Jesus rides 
forth as King of Zion, with the sign 
of power, royalty, and victory. This, 
then, being descriptive of the going 
forth of Jesus as King in Zion, and 
the progress of his kingdom in the 
world, agrees with one o/ the signs 
which Jesus said should precede the 
destruction of Jerusalem. " And this 
gospel of the kingdom shall be 
preached in all the world, for a wit- 
ness unto all nations ; and then shall 
the end come ;" Matt. xxiv. 14. 

3. Second seal. — The opening of 
the second seal called out a remark 
from the second beast ; and he, like 
the first, said to the revelator, " Come 
and see." Another sheet was un- 
rolled, and the revelator saw further 
signs. 

4. Horse that ?vas red. — After hav- 
ing described the introduction and 
success of the gospel, (mentioned in 
Matt. xxiv. 14,) the revelator saw, on 
the opening of the second seal, an- 
other horse, not white, but red, the 
sign of blood and slaughter. And 
power was given him who sat thereon 



the earth, and that they should 
kill one another : and there was 
given unto him a great sword. 

5 And when he had opened 
the third seal, I heard the third 
beast say, Come and see. And 
I beheld, and lo, a black horse ; 
and he that sat on him had a 
pair of balances in his hand. 

6 And I heard a voice in the 



to take peace from the earth. This is 
certainly the metaphor for war. 
Hence it is said, "They shall kill 
one another ; and there was given 
unto him a great sword," showing us 
the second particular which we have 
proved was mentioned in Matt, xxiv., 
viz., war. % Take peace from the earth, 
or from the land. — Here, not the whole 
earth, but the land of Palestine, is 
specially denoted, which was entirely 
overrun with war in a few years after 
the Apocalypse was written, agree- 
ably to the prophecy of our Lord; 
Matt. xxiv. 6. 

5. Third seal. — When the third 
section of the roll, or third seal, was 
unfolded, the third beast said, " Come 
and see." There is a symmetry pre- 
served here ; the first beast speaks 
of the opening of the first seal, the 
second of the next, and so on. And 
what did he see ? *f[ A black horse. 
Black is the sign of affliction, disaster 
and anguish. The object of the rev- 
elator was to represent famine. But 
no color would exactly represent 
that • and therefore the usual color 
for dismay and mourning was se- 
lected. But to make the metaphor 
the more definite, the rider, upon the 
horse, bears a sign in his hand. - ^[ A 
pair of balances. — And what do these 
represent ? Every one knows that 
balances are used wherewith to as- 
certain the weight of any article ; and 
we shall discover, in the next verse, 
that the balances were the sign of 
scarcity. 

6. A voice. — Some voice came 
from among the four beasts. ^[ A 



148 



REVELATION. 



midst of the four beasts say, A 
measure of wheat for a penny, 
and three measures of barley for 
a penny ; and see thou hurt not 
the oil and the wine. 

7 And when he had opened 

measure of wheat for a penny. — Gro- 
tius and others have observed, that a 
ehceniz of corn, the measure here 
mentioned, was a man's daily allow- 
ance, as a penny was his daily wages j 
so that if his daily labor could earn 
no more than his daily bread } with- 
out other provision for himself or his 
family, corn must needs bear a very 
high price. But whatever may be 
the capacity of the chceniz, which is 
difficult to be determined, as it was 
different in different times and coun- 
tries, yet such care and such regula- 
tions about the necessaries of life 
imply some want and scarcity of 
them. Scarcity obligeth men to ex- 
actness in the price and measure of 
things. In short, the intent of the 
prophecy is, that corn should be pro- 
vided for the people, but it should be 
distributed in exact measure and 
proportion. — (Bishop Newton.) See 
Whittemore on the Parables, p. 261, 
for further information on these sub- 
jects. See also Campbell on Gos., 
Dis. viii., p. i., sec. 4. Dr. Hammond 
says, " The scarcity of corn is such, 
that the price of a man's day's labor 
will buy no more than is wont to be 
thought sufficient for a man's food in 
a day ; and if he eats that all himself, 
there is nothing left to provide for 
wife and children," &c. &c. Wheat, 
barley, oil and wine, were with the 
eastern nations of antiquity the chief 
supports of life. Here, then, we have 
a description of famine, which was 
mentioned in Matt. xxiv. as one of 
the signs preceding the destruction 
of Jerusalem. 

7. Fourth seal. — Here is the same 
symmetry as before ; the fourth beast 
gives out the invitation at the open- 
ing of the fourth seal, " Come and 
see." At the opening of the other 



the fourth seal, I heard the voice 
of the fourth beast say, Come 
and see. 

8 And I looked, and behold, a 
pale horse : and his name that 
sat on him was Death, and hell 

seals there was no beast to respond, the 
whole four having been consecutively 
brought forward. 

8. A pale horse. — There seems to 
be a reference here to Ezek. xiv. 21, 
where the prophet speaks of God 
sending fourscore judgments upon 
Jerusalem, viz., " the sword, and the 
famine, and the noisome beast, and 
the pestilence, to cut off from it man 
and beast." Paleness is the sign of 
weakness, sickness, fainting ^Narne 
that sat on him was Death. — We quote 
again Dr. Hammond : " It was a pale 
horse and a ridsr thereon, signifying 
great death or mortality, whether 
by extraordinary ways of death, the 
sword and famine, or by that ordi- 
nary known way of pestilence, fol- 
lowing (as it ordinarily doth) upon 
these two, and sweeping away many. 
And these three horses, in the last 
three rolls, that is sword, famine, 
and death, or pestilence, (all named 
together in this matter, Matt. xxiv. 7,) 
should destroy the fourth part of the 
land of Judea, men and beasts, or 
else should make such a vastation 
that the wild beasts should increase,, 
and be too strong for the inhabitants 
there. And all this but a forerunner 
of the far greater destructions that 
should afterwards be wrought among 
them at the siege of Titus." So far 
Dr. Hammond. % Hell followed with 
him. — The word here translated hell 
occurs in the Apocalypse four times * 
i. 18 ; vi. 8 ; xx. 13. 14. In all these 
cases it is associated with death. 
The expression is particularly strong 
in the verse before us, " hell followed 
with him." Under the two preced- 
ing seals, the revelator had described 
war and famine, fruitful sources of 
death. His object in the metaphor 
we are considering was to show how 



CHAPTER VI. 



149 



followed with him. And power I 
was given unto them over the 
fourth part of the earth, to kill 
with sword, and with hunger, 



widely death would be occasioned by 
these evils. War and famine pro- 
duced "pestilence that wasteth at 
noon-day." Pestilence, like the chol- 
era for instance, or the plague, may 
well be represented by death, the 
king of terrors. On such occasions 
death seems to ride fearfully among 
the people, and hell, or the grave, 
follows with him. In the parallel- 
isms of the Old Testament death 
and hades are frequently conjoined, 
"Like sheep they are laid in the 
grave ; death shall feed on them 
Psa. xlix. 14. " Let death seize 
upon them, and let them go down 
quick into hell," hades,, the grave; 
Idem, lv. 15. We refrain from further 
quotations. Death is personified by 
several of the sacred writers. See 
Job xxviii. 22 ; Hos. xiii. 14; Hab. 
ii. 5 ; 1 Cor. xv. 55. « O death, 
where is thy sting ? grave, where 
is thy victory ?" We can make no 
great distinction here between death 
and hades, hell, translated the grave. 
So when it is said, " his name that 
sat on him was Death, and hell fol- 
lowed with him," Ave judge it to mean 
nothing more than that death and 
destruction marked the path of the 
pale horse, Power mas given unto 
them. — It was a wide power too, — 
power over the fourth part of the 
land, to kill with sword, and with 
hunger, and with the beasts of the 
earth. Does this mean that a quarter 
part of the people were to be cut off 
by the scourges here referred to? 
Death reigned with fearful power. 
Sword and famine were the principal 
agencies by which he executed his 
will. But to these were to be added 
<•' the beasts of the earth." This is 
manifestly a reference to Ezek. xiv. 
21, quoted above. If wild beasts, 
and not ferocious men, be intended, 
they follow in the course of an army, 



and with death, and with the 
beasts of the earth. 

9 And when he had opened 
the fifth seal, I saw under the 



and devour the wounded and the 
slain. In fine, we esteem it neces- 
sary to add only, under this verse, 
that it represents, more forcibly than 
either of the preceding, the scourges 
that were to fall upon the Jews. 
Well did Jesus weep before Jeru- 
salem, in view of the calamities that 
were impending over it. 

9. As there were but four beasts, 
and these had all spoken at the open- 
ing of the first four seals, so there is 
none represented as speaking at the 
opening of the fifth, sixth and seventh 
seals. T[ Souls of them that were slain. 
— John saw under the altar the souls 
of them that were slain for the word 
of God, &c. This agrees with Kev. 
xx. 4, where the martyrs, notwith- 
standing they had been killed, are 
said to have lived and reigned with 
Christ a thousand years. It is a bold 
prosopopoeia, as in the case of the 
blood of Abel crying unto God from 
the ground; Gen. iv. 10. The mar- 
tyrs were before the altar, or at the 
base of it, where the faithful are said 
to stand; Rev. vii. 9, 14. Souls do 
not signify absolutely spirits in a dis- 
embodied state. Nothing is more 
common in the Scriptures than the 
use of the word souls for persons. 
Paul said, " We were all in the ship 
two hundred three score and sixteen 
souls ;" Acts xxvii. 37. Peter, 
speaking of the ark, said, " Wherein 
few, that is eight souls, were saved 
by water ;" 1 Pet. hi. 20. The im- 
port of the verse before us is, then, 
that the revelator saw under the altar 
those who had been slain. If The 
testimony which they held. — They were 
slain for their adherence to Christ. 
The word "held" here means, held 
fast. The Christians were exhorted 
to hold fast the profession of their 
faith without wavering ; Heb. x. 23. 
This exposed them to persecution 



250 



REVELATION. 



altar the souls of them that were 
slain for the word of God, and 
for the testimony which they 
held : 

10 And they cried with a 
loud voice, saying, How long, 
O Lord, holy and true, dost 
thou not judge and avenge our 

and to death. Jesus pre-accused the 
Jews of these things. "Wherefore, 
behold, I send unto you prophets, and 
wise men, and scribes ; and some of 
them ye shall kill and crucify, and 
some of them shall ye scourge in your 
synagogues, and persecute them from 
city to city Matt, xxiii. 34. Warn- 
ing to a similar effect was given to 
the disciples : " Then shall they de- 
liver you up to be afflicted, and shall 
kill you ; and ye shall be hated of all 
nations for my name's sake ;" Matt, 
xxiv. 9. 

10. How long, O Lord. — The mar- 
tyrs are represented as waiting im- 
patiently for God to avenge himself 
upon those who had shed their blood ; 
intending nothing more than the Jews 
should be judged for their murders of 
the Christians, but that their punish- 
ment was for a short time delayed ; 
and this delay to judge and punish 
might create some discontent and 
impatience. The words of discontent 
are placed in the minds of the mur- 
dered Christians, who, by a bold 
figure, are represented as inquiring 
how long this delay was to be con- 
tinued. The time had not come for 
the judgment to take place. 

11. White robes. — But the martyrs 
were honored in the sight of God, 
though their enemies were not then 
fully punished. White robes were 
given to the former as signs of ap- 
probation and honor ; and for a little 
season they should rest, until their 
fellow-servants should be killed, and 
then their wishes should be fulfilled. 
How readily does this bring to mind 
the language of JesUs in Matt, xxiii. 
34—36 : " Some of them ye shall kill 
and crucify, and some of them shall 



blood on them that dwell on the 
earth ? 

11 And white robes were 
given unto every one of them ; 
and it was said unto them, that 
they should rest yet for a little 
season, until their fellow-ser- 
vants also and their brethren, 

ye scourge in your synagogues, and 
persecute them from city to city : 
that upon you may come all the 
righteous blood shed upon the earth, 
from the blood of righteous Abel, 
unto the blood of Zecharias, son of 
Barachias, whom ye slew between 
the temple and the altar. Verily, I 
say unto you, All these things shall 
come upon this generation." Ven- 
geance was not taken upon them at 
once for their iniquities ; they were to 
" fill up fke measure" of their fathers. 
(Matt, xxiii. 32,) and then they 
should be fully punished. At the 
time the revelator referred to, under 
the fifth seal, the measure was not 
filled up. It seemed long to those 
who suffered, and whose friends had 
been slain. The Jews seemed to 
them sufficiently ripe for judgment ; 
the measure seemed to be full ; but 
in the wisdom of God, it was best to 
forbear yet longer. When the meas- 
ure of wickedness was full in the 
sight of God, then the Jews should be 
signally punished. They should be 
visited with a retribution so signal, 
that it should appear to all the world 
the hand of the Lord was in it. It 
should surely come on that generation, 
before all who were then on the earth 
should pass away. And here it may 
not be improper to observe, that the 
dreadful punishments which are pre- 
figured in the succeeding verses 
were the punishments that were to 
fall upon the Jews, in consequence 
of their long continued rebellion 
against God, and determined perse- 
cutions of his church. But even in 
the midst of the deepest persecutions, 
the martyrs, and all who suffered for 
righteousness' sake, should be hon- 



CHAPTER VI. 



151 



that should be killed as they 
were, should be fulfilled. 

12 And I beheld when he 
had opened the sixth seal, and 
lo, there was a great earthquake ; 

ored in the sight of all good men. 
All these things were to happen dur- 
ing that generation. 

12. The sixth seal. — The events 
under the sixth seal are described 
under the most glowing imagery. 
The ancients were remarkable for 
this style of writing. It seems wild 
and extravagant to men in this age. 
There is nothing, however, more 
certain, than that changes in heaven 
and on earth — among the heavenly 
bodies and among the hills and moun- 
tains — were used by the Jewish 
prophets to describe political or na- 
tional changes, — the building up or 
the overthrow of nations. Bishop 
Lowth says, " The Hebrew poets, to 
express happiness, prosperity, the in- 
stauration and advancement of states, 
kingdoms and potentates, make use 
of images taken from the most strik- 
ing parts of nature, from the heav- 
enly bodies, from the sun, moon, and 
stars ; which they describe as shining 
with increased splendor, and never 
setting ; the moon becomes like the 
meridian sun, and the sun's light is 
augmented seven fold ; (see Isaiah 
xxx. 26,) new heavens and a new 
earth are created, and a brighter age 
commences. On the contrary, the 
overthrow and destruction of king- 
doms, is represented by opposite im- 
ages : the stars are obscured, the 
moon withdraws her light, and the 
sun shines no more ; the earth quakes 
and the heavens tremble, and all 
things seem tending to their original 
chaos." — (Note on Isaiah xiii. 10.) 
If A great earthquake. — Our Lord, in 
his prophecy of the destruction of 
Jerusalem, associated earthquakes 
with famines and pestilences ; Matt, 
xxiv. 7 ; Mark xiii. 8 ; Luke xxi. 11. 
Earthquakes, or shaking of the earth, 
are frequently put for moral and 



and the sun became black as 
sackcloth of hair, and the moon 
became as blood : 

13 And the stars of heaven 
fell unto the earth, even as a 

civil commotions, in the metaphorical 
style of the sacred writers. See Rev. 
viii. 5; xi. 13, 19; xvi. 18. See, 
also, Isa. ii. 19 ; xiii. 13 ; Joel hi. 16 ; 
Haggai ii. 6, 21 5 and many other 
places. This style is carried into 
the New Testament, and used both 
by Christ and his apostles; Heb. 
xii. 26, 27. "f[ Sun became black as 
sackcloth of hair. — Cloth woven of 
black hair is of a deep blackness. 
Sackcloth was often of hair ; it was 
very coarse — of a deep black ; and 
was worn, therefore, in seasons of 
trouble. The sun became black in 
the revelator's imagination. In re- 
ality, such a thing never happened ; 
but we have already asserted the 
fact, in the language of Bishop 
Lowth, (which is given as a sample 
of what might be quoted from many 
authors,) that the Jews were in the 
habit of representing great changes 
on earth, by changes in the heavenly 
bodies. The heavens sometimes, in 
their descriptions, are covered with 
blackness, as when a terrific cloud, 
shutting from our vision half the 
hemisphere, arises with fearful vi- 
olence, heaven seems as if it were 
about to expend itself in wrath upon 
the earth. See 1 Kings xviii. 45; 
Isa. 1. 3 ; Jer. iv. 28. ^[ Moon became 
as blood. — This is precisely the style 
in which the prophets foretold the 
destruction of Jerusalem. " The 
earth shall quake before them ; the 
heavens shall tremble ; the sun and 
the moon shall be dark, and the stars 
shall withdraw their shining ;" Joel 
ii. 10. " The sun shall be turned into 
darkness, and the moon into blood, 
before the great and the terrible day 
of the Lord come;" 31. See, also, 
Matt. xxiv. 29, quoted below. 

13. Stars of heaven fell. — This, 
also, is precisely in the prophetic 



152 



REVELATION. 



fig-tree casteth her untimely 
figs, when she is shaken of a 
mighty wind. 



style. Ezek. xxxii. 7 ; Daniel viii. 
10 ; Joel ii. 10 ; iii. 15. It repre- 
sented civil or political commotions. 
The metaphor of stars falling like 
figs from a tree was used by Isaiah 
to represent the fall of the powers of 
Idumea ; xxxiv. 4, 5. See below. 

14. Heaven departed as a scroll. — 
The metaphor here, also, is from 
Isaiah ; see the verse last quoted. 
The metaphors in the 12th, 13th and 
14th verses are clearly a description 
of the events that attended the de- 
struction of Jerusalem ; and are given 
almost precisely in the language that 
our Lord applied to that event, and 
that ancient prophecy applied to the 
temporal judgments that God sent 
upon rebellious countries. In Matt, 
xxiv. 29, we read, " Immediately 
after the tribulation of those days, 
[referring to the tribulation of wars, 
pestilences and famines, of which he 
had been speaking,] shall the sun be 
darkened, and the moon shall not 
give her light, and the stars shall fall 
from heaven, and the powers of the 
heavens shall be shaken. Now, no 
intelligent commentator of the pres- 
ent day has any doubt, that in the 
use of these splendid metaphors, our 
Lord was speaking of the destruction 
of Jerusalem. " That event took 
place " immediately after the tribula- 
tion of those days;" and in verse 34 
it is said, "This generation shall not 
pass till all these things be fulfilled." 
Now look at the passage in the sixth 
of Revelations, and see if there be 
not changes in the sun, moon and 
stars. "The sun became black as 
sackcloth of hair, and the moon be- 
came as blood, and the stars of heav- 
en fell upon the earth, even as a fig- 
tree casteth her untimely figs, when 
she is shaken of a mighty wind," 
and the heaven departed as a scroll, 
&c. These are the very figures em- 
ployed by our Lord to describe the 



14 And the heaven departed 
as a scroll when it is rolled to- 
gether ; and every mountain 



events attending the destruction of 
Jerusalem ; and taken in connec- 
tion with the preceding signs of 
war, pestilence and famine, the 
whole seems to denote, beyond a 
doubt, that it is that event which is 
spoken of in the sixth chapter of Rev- 
elations. Such, also, are almost the 
precise terms in which the prophet 
describes the destruction of Idumea. 
See Isaiah 34th chap. " All the host 
of heaven shall be dissolved, and the 
heavens shall be rolled together as a 
scroll, and all their host [viz., the 
stars] shall fall down as the leaf 
falleth from the vine, and as a falling 
fig from the fig-tree Isa. xxxiv. 4. 
And yet all this splendid imagery is 
expressly said by the prophet to refer 
to the destruction of Idumea, ver. 5. 
We cannot forbear quoting the fol- 
lowing very intelligent remarks from 
Dr. Lightfoot, on the whole series of 
events mentioned under the six seals : 
" The opening of the six seals in this 
chapter speaks the ruin and rejection 
of the Jewish nation, and the deso- 
lation of their city, which is now very 
near at hand. The first seal opened 
shows Christ setting forth in battle 
array and avengement against them, 
as Psa. xli. 4, 5. And this the New 
Testament speaketh very much and 
very highly of; one while calling it 
his 1 coming in clouds,' — another 
while, his 'coming in his kingdom,' 
— and sometimes, his 'coming in 
power and great glory ;' and the like. 
Because his plaguing and destroying 
of the nation that crucified him, that 
so much opposed and wrought mischief 
against the gospel, was the first evi- 
dence that he gave in sight of all the 
world of his being Christ; for, till 
then, he, and his gospel, had been in 
humility, as I may say, as to the eyes 
of men, — he persecuted whilst he 
was on earth, and they persecuted 
after him, and no course taken with 



CHAPTER VI. 



153 



and island were moved out of 
their places. 

them that so used both ; but now he 
awakes, shows himself, and makes 
himself known by the judgment 
that he executeth. The three next 
seals opening, shows the means by 
which he did destroy, namely, those 
three sad plagues that had been 
threatened so oft, and so sure, by 
the prophets, 'sword, famine, and 
pestilence.' The second seal opened, 
sends out one upon a red horse, to 
take peace from the earth, and that 
men. should destroy one another ; he 
carried a great 1 sword.' The third 
seal opening, speaks of famine, when 
corn for scarcity should be weighed 
like spicery in a pair of balances. 
The fourth seal sends out one on a 
pale horse, whose name was Death. 
The opening of the fifth seal reveals 
a main cause of the vengeance, 
namely, the blood of the saints which 
had been shed, crying, and which 
was to be required of that generation. 
These souls are said to cry from un- 
der the altar, either in allusion to the 
blood of creatures sacrificed, poured 
at the foot of the altar, or according 
to the Jews' tenet, that 'all just souls 
departed are under the throne of 
glory.' Answer to their cry is given, 
that the number of their brethren 
that were to be slain was not yet ful- 
filled ; and they must rest till that 
should be ; and then avengement in 
their behalf should come. This 
speaks suitable to that which we ob- 
served lately, that now times were 
begun of bitter persecution, < an hour 
of temptation,' the Jews and devil 
raging, till the Lord should some- 
thing cool that fury by the ruin of 
that people. The opening of the 
sixth seal [ver. xii. 13] shows the 
destruction itself, in those borrowed 
terms that the Scripture useth to ex- 
press it by, namely, as if it were the 
destruction of the whole world ; the 
sun darkened, the stars falling, the 
heaven departing, and the earth dis- 
solved; and that conclusion, [ver. 



15 And the kings of the 
earth, and the great men, and 

16.] 1 They shall say to the rocks, 
Fall on us,' &c, doth not only war- 
rant, but even enforce us to under- 
stand and construe these things in the 
sense that we do ; for Christ applies 
these very words to the very same 
thing : Luke xxiii. 30. And here is 
another, and to me a very satisfactory 
reason, why to place the showing of 
these visions to John, and his writing 
of this book, before the desolation of 
Jerusalem." — (Harmony of the New 
Testament, Works, Milman's Ed., iii. 
335 — 337.) T[ Every mountain and 
island. — The mountains are usually 
places of strength and security. Lot 
was advised to escape to the moun- 
tains from the fires of Sodom and 
Gomorrah; Gen. xix. 17. Jesus di- 
rected his disciples, at the time of the 
destruction of Jerusalem, to "flee unto 
the mountains ;" Matt. xxiv. 16. But 
to signify times of great commotion 
and distress, the very mountains are 
moved. To express a high state of 
joy, the mountains and hills are 
sometimes personified. The moun- 
tains "skipped like rams, and the 
little hills like lambs ;" Psa. cxiv. 6. 
" Praise the Lord, mountains and all 
hills ; fruitful trees, and all cedars ;" 
cxlviii. 9. See also Isa. xliv. 23 ; 
xlix. 13; lv. 12. But to denote the 
overthrow of nations, princes, lead- 
ers, governments, the mountains are 
melted, shaken, thrown down. God 
touches the mountains and they 
smoke ; Psa. cxliv. 5. The day of the 
Lord is upon all the mountains and 
the hills that are lifted up, (Isa. ii. 14,) 
where they seem to be put for proud 
men. They are put for the leaders 
of Israel, Ezek. vi. 2, 3 ; xxxvi. 1, 8. 
To show the overthrow of these lead- 
ers, there is great confusion in the 
mountains. They "tremble," Jer. 
vi. 24 ; they " quake," Nah. i. 5 ; 
they are "thrown down." Ezek. 
xxxviii. 20; they are "removed," 
Isa. liv. 10 ; they " melt," Isa. xxxiv. 
3; lxiv. 1 ;Micahi. 4;Nah.i. 5. When 



154 



REVELATION. 



the rich men, and the chief cap- 
tains, and the mighty men, and 
every bond-man, and every free- 
man, hid themselves in the dens 
and in the rocks of the moun- 
tains : 



the revelator said, " Every mountain 
and island were moved out of their 
places," it means, we think, as is ex- 
pressed in the following verse, that 
the leaders, being in rebellion against 
God, were put down. 

15. And the kings of the earth. — 
The kings of the" earth, the great 
men, the rich men, the chief captains, 
the mighty men, and every bond- 
man and every free-man, &c. These 
men, rulers high in power, repre- 
sented by high mountains, were to be 
moved out of their places, ^ Hid 
themselves in the dens. — They were 
filled with fear ; they sought to es- 
cape ; and as dens are places of con- 
cealment, they hid themselves in the 
dens, among the rocks of the moun- 
tains. But why were they afraid ? 
"Why did they wish to hide them- 
selves ? See the following verse. 

16. Said to the mountains and rocks. 
— Here the mountains and rocks are 
personified ; they are addressed as if 
they had intelligence and the power 
of motion. ^Fall on us and hide us. — 
We should think, at the first glance, 
that it could be no desirable thing to 
men to have the mountains fall on 
them. It would seem almost to make 
death certain and speedy. But let us 
be careful to get the right view of the 
matter. The mountains and hills are 
represented as being in motion ; they 
are " moved out of their places •" 
there is a great commotion ; some 
awful calamity is at hand; and the 
enemies of Jesus cry to the moun- 
tains and rocks, " Fall on us." For 
what purpose ? To " hide us," not to 
kill us. In thy falling, make dens 
and walls round about us. Fall in 
such a manner as to hide us from 
observation. ^[ From the face of him, 
&c. — This was the cause of their 



16 And said to the mountains 
and rocks, Fall on us, and hide 
us from the face of him that sit- 
teth on the throne, and from the 
wrath of the Lamb : 

17 For the great day of his 



fear, — the wrath of God and the 
Lamb. Hide us from it, they cry. 
This phraseology seems to make it 
the more certain that the revelator 
was treating of the woes coming upon 
Jerusalem ; for our Lord applies the 
same, in his memorable prophecy, to 
the time of those woes. " But Jesus, 
turning unto them, said, Daughters of 
Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep 
for yourselves, and for your children. 
For, behold the days are coming, in 
the which they shall say, Blessed are 
the barren, and the wombs that never 
bare, and the paps which never gave 
suck. Then shall they begin to say 
to the mountains, Fall on us ; and to 
the hills, Cover us Luke xxiii. 28 
—30. 

17. The great day of his wrath. — 
The word day signifies season, or 
time, and not a day of twenty-four 
hours. The great time, or season, of 
his wrath is come. The time of a 
nation's punishment, by the visitation 
of God, is called the day of the Lord, 
because at that time God exercises 
justice on that people ; hence, the 
phrase does not mean one and the 
same time whenever it occurs, but 
any time, or times, in which God 
punished certain nations for their 
sins by some tremendous visitation 
of judgment. To illustrate, we refer 
to several passages of Scripture. See 
Zeph. i. 12 — 18. This passage refers 
to the time of the destruction of the 
Jews by the Babylonians ; and it is 
called the day of the Lord, because 
God was supposed by the prophet to 
have sent the armies of Babylon to 
destroy the nation of the Jews for 
their sins. It is called, by way of 
distinction, " that time," " the great 
day of the Lord," " a day of wrath," 
"a day of trouble and distress," " a 



wrath is come ; and who shall 



day of wasteness and desolation." " a 
day of darkness and gloominess," "a 
day of clouds and thick darkness," 
and '-the day of the Lord's wrath," 
&c. Joel describes a punishment 
which was sent upon the Jews, in 
very similar language. See chap, 
ii. 1, 2 : " Blow ye the trumpet in 
Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy 
mountain ; let all the inhabitants of 
the land tremble ; for the day of the 
Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand ; 
a day of darkness and of gloominess, 
a day of clouds and of thick dark- 
ness, as the morning spread upon the 
mountains ; a great people and a 
strong ; there hath not been ever the 
like, neither shall be any more after 
it, even to the years of many genera- 
tions." 

12 — 17. We have thus gone through 
with this chapter, and have illus- 
trated and supported our views of it 
by many appropriate quotations from 
the word of God. In order, however, 
to show that our preconceived theo- 
logical opinions have not biased us, 
in the interpretation of the language, 
we have given the testimony of com- 
mentators of acknowledged learning 
and piety, who have interpreted it in 
the same manner, and whose opin- 
ions on some points were very differ- 
ent from what our own are. But we 
desire, after all, to add the weight of 
one more name. — that of a modern 
author, — standing high in the affec- 
tions and confidence of the dominant 
churches of New England ; we mean 
Prof. Stuart. His interpretation of 
this section is precisely such as we 
have given, as will be seen by the 
following quotation : " Nothing is 
more frequent in the Scripture than 
the indication of great changes, espe- 
cially great calamities, by a descrip- 
tion of earthquakes, and tempests, 
and eclipses of the heavenly lumina- 
ries, or the mention of their bloody 
aspect, occasioned by a murky atmos- 
phere. To obtain a full view of this 
usage, the reader must carefully con- 



3R Vll. 155 

be able to stand ? 



suit Joel ii. 10, 30, 31 ; iii. 15 ; Isa. 
xiii. 10 ; xxiv. 23 ; Ezek. xxxii. 7, 8 ; 
Isa. xxxiv. 4 ; Amos viii. 9 ; Isa. lix. 
9, 10 ; Jer. xv. 9 ; Isa. lx. 20. Com- 
pare Matt. xxiv. 29 ; Mark xiii. 24, 
25; Luke xxi. 25; Acts ii. 19, 20. 
In this last passage, and in Joel, from 
which this is cited, there seems to be 
merely an indication of great and 
extraordinary changes ; but in all the 
other passages of like tenor, the care- 
ful reader will perceive at once that 
calamitous events are indicated. Every 
one who knows what disasters the 
ancients connected with the appear- 
ance of eclipses, and of changes in 
the heavenly bodies, will easily per- 
ceive how forcible such language 
must be, when employed to designate 
occurrences yet future. An attentive 
consideration of the passages referred 
to, will show, moreover, that calami- 
ties of every kind, such as are actu- 
ally brought about by locusts, war, 
pestilence, famine, &c, are symbol- 
ized by such imagery as the text pre- 
sents. Consequently, unless the con- 
text obliges to a different exegesis, 
(which is not the case here,) we 
may give to such figurative language 
a generic sense." — (Com. on the 
place.) 

CHAPTER VII. 

We showed, under the preceding 
chapter, that the events described 
therein, were such as were connected 
with the destruction of Jerusalem ; 
that the wars, pestilences and famines, 
which were to precede the overwhelm- 
ing calamities of that city, were fore- 
told in said chapter. These events 
had been previously foretold by our 
Lord, in the prophecy recorded in the 
24th of Matth. But there was one 
thing mentioned by him in that 
prophecy, which did. not occur in 
the description we found in the sixth 
chapter, viz., the preservation of the 
Christians during the extermination of 
the Jewish nation. This is the subject 
mentioned in the seventh chapter, 



156 



REVELATION. 



CHAPTER VII. 

AND after these things I saw 
four angels standing on the 
four corners of the earth, hold- 
ing the four winds of the earth, 
that the wind should not blow 
on the earth, nor on the sea, nor 
on any tree. 

which we are now to consider. Other 
matters connected with the general 
subject are mentioned in subsequent 
chapters. Christ's judgment, it should 
be remembered, consisted of two parts, 
viz., 1st. To destroy the Jews; and 
2d. To save the believing and faith- 
ful Christians. 

1. Four angeh. — The description 
here is altogether scenical. Under 
chap. v. 2, we have given a classifi- 
cation of the angels mentioned in the 
Apocalypse ; and, by a reference to 
that, the reader will perceive that the 
angels mentioned in the verse before 
us are to be reckoned among the 
" angels of the elements." The four 
angels mentioned above are the 
angels of the four winds ; in Eev. 
xiv. 18, we read of the " angel who 
had power over fire ;" in xvi. 5, men- 
tion is made of the " angel of the 
waters ;" the sun also had its angel ; 
xix. 17. " It seems probable (says 
Prof. Stuart, in his Scriptural Angel- 
ology) that the passage Psa. civ. 4, 
and Heb. i. 7, 'Who maketh his 
angels the winds, and his ministers a 
flame of fire,' i e., lightning, is to be 
explained in reference to the views 
of the Jews as connected with the 
subject of guardian angels over the 
elements." Holding the four minds. 
— After the general view of God's 
judgments which had been taken in 
the preceding chapter, the revelator 
descends to particulars ; and the first 
thing represented by him was the 
great care exercised by infinite wis- 
dom, that the faithful Christians, who 
were mixed up with the Jews at the 
beginning of their calamities, were I 



2 And I saw another angel 
ascending from the east, having 
the seal of the living God ; and 
he cried with a loud voice to 
the four angels, to whom it was 
given to hurt the earth and the 
sea, 

3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, 
neither the sea, nor the trees, 

not to be hurt ; that the judgments 
were not to be let loose until these 
were distinguished from the rest, and 
marked, (so to speak,) that when 
the judgments took place, they might 
not be harmed. The winds are the 
agents of destruction. . God controls 
them. He "gathers the wind in his 
fists;" Prov.xxx. 4. He sends them 
forth at his pleasure. The winds in 
the passage before us are emblemati- 
cal of the judgments of God. These 
judgments were to be kept back for a 
short time. Hence John says, he 
saw four angels, holding the four 
winds, that they should not blow, to 
hurt the earth, until the full time had 
come. 

2. Another angel. — This was the 
angel who was supposed to have 
the custody of the seal of God. See 
the classification before referred to. 

Four angels. — The same mentioned 
in the preceding verse. They were 
commissioned to destroy, but were 
instructed to withhold for a season. 
The first angel had the seal of the 
living God; and he cried unto the 
four angels, to whom the commission 
of destruction had been given, to for- 
bear for a short time. % Ascending 
from the east. — How natural to those 
who looked on heaven as a locality, 
(and this the Hebrews did,) to sup- 
pose it was situated in the east, the 
source of light ; the place whence the 
sun, moon, and stars seem to proceed. 
The angel, with the seal of God, 
comes as the companion of the heav- 
enly bodies. 

3 . Till we have sealed. — Commence 
not the final destruction upon the land 



CHAPTER VII. 



till we have sealed the servants 
of our God in their foreheads. 

4 And I heard the number 
of them which were sealed : 



of Judea, until the servants of God 
are sealed or marked for preserva- 
tion. The Christians, who appeared 
to be in danger of being involved in 
the general calamities of the Jews, 
were wonderfully preserved. There 
is something similar to this in the 
ancient history of the Jews. When 
the first-born of the Egyptians were 
slain, the houses in which the Israel- 
ites dwelt were marked for preserva- 
tion, and the destroying angel passed 
by them in mercy ; Exod. xii. 21 — 30. 
A similar procedure is recorded by 
Ezekiel, ix. 4 : {; Go through the 
midst of the city, through the midst 
of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon 
the foreheads of the men that sigh 
and that cry for all the abominations 
that be done in the midst thereof;" 
i. e., set a mark upon the good men, 
that they may be saved in the time of 
the general destruction; see verses 
5 — 11 of same chapter. This is the 
same figure with the sealing the faith- 
ful in the seventh of Revelations. 
The winds of destruction were not 
permitted to blow, the work of destruc- 
tion did not begin, until the faith- 
ful were marked for preservation, — 
" sealed in their foreheads." Not- 
withstanding every arrangement 
seemed to be made by the Romans 
for the vigorous prosecution of the 
siege of Jerusalem, yet it was for 
some reason delayed, until the. faith- 
ful Christians had an opportunity of 
deliverance. God knew those that 
were his ; and such were not doomed 
to destruction. This is another in- 
stance of the revelator copying his 
metaphors from the Old Testament. 

4. An hundred and forty and four 
thousand. — The number one hundred 
and forty-four thousand is of no par- 
ticular account in the understanding 
of the passage. By the twelve tribes 
mentioned in verses 4 — 8, are intended 
14 



157 

and there were sealed a hun- 
dred and forty and four thousand 
of all the tribes of the children 
of Israel. 



the members of spiritual Israel. If 
we look at the 24th chapter of Mat- 
thew, we shall find that the Son of 
man was to send his angels, with the 
great sound of a trumpet, and they 
were to gather together his elect from 
the four winds, from one end of 
heaven to the other ; Matt. xxiv. 31. 
These elect were saved from the 
common destruction ; Idem, 13, 22. 
'The famines, pestilences and earth- 
quakes, were the beginning of sor- 
rows ; Idem, 8. After these things 
came other dreadful occurrences ; but 
from the great woes which fell upon 
the Jews, the faithful Christians were 
delivered. They were gathered to- 
gether from all parts, and were won- 
derfully preserved from the dangers 
and woes that fell on the rebellious. 
As to the number of the Jews who 
were converted to Christianity, we 
know it not precisely. And as we 
have said, it makes no difference 
what it was, for no set number is 
intended by the one hundred and 
forty-four thousand, since in prophecy 
and parables it is very common to 
put a certain number for an uncer- 
tain one. Compared with the bulk 
of the nation, the Jewish converts to 
Christianity were a small part, — a 
remnant, — though it is probable there 
were many thousands. Besides such 
as were converted during the per- 
sonal ministry of Jesus, we know 
there were three thousand converted 
in one day under the preaching of 
Peter; Acts ii. 41. On a certain 
occasion, after the conversion of Paul, 
there was a conversation among the 
brethren at Jerusalem as to the com- 
parative success of their efforts in 
converting Jews and Gentiles. Paul 
''declared particularly what things 
God had wrought among the Gentiles 
by his ministry." When the brethren 
heard these things, " they glorified 



158 



REVELATION. 



5 Of the tribe of Juda were 
sealed twelve thousand. Of the 
tribe of Reuben were sealed 
twelve thousand. Of the tribe 
of Gad were sealed twelve thou- 
sand. 

6 Of the tribe of Aser were 
sealed twelve thousand. Of the 
tribe of Nephthalim were sealed 

the Lord, and said unto Paul, Thou 
seest, brother, how many thousands 
of Jews there are which believe," 
&c. ; Acts xxi. 20. Compared with 
the whole body of the Jews, the one- 
hundred and forty-four thousand be- 
lievers, even if there were just so 
many, would be a small part, or rem- 
nant, not above a thirtieth part at the 
full valuation of them. 

5 — 8. Of the tribe of Juda, &c. — 
We have already given an account of 
the origin and of the names of the 
twelve tribes of Israel, in our remarks 
under chapter iv., on the four and 
twenty elders. The reader is partic- 
ularly referred to what is there said. 
The names of Jacob's sons, after 
whom the tribes were named, were 

1 Reuben, the first-born, 7 Dan, 

2 Simeon, 8 Gad, 

3 Levi, 9 Asher, 

4 Judah, 10 Naphthali, 

5 Zebu Ion, 11 Joseph, 

6 Issachar, 12 Benjamin. 

In the revelator's classification of 
the tribes, the name of Dan is omitted, 
and that of Manasses put in its place. 
This is thought by some to have been 
done because idolatry broke out in 
the tribe of Dan ; Judges xviii. 18 — 
31 ; 1 Kings xii. 25— 33. Manasseh 
was a grandson of Jacob, by Joseph ; 
see Gen. xlviii. 5. % Were sealed 
twelve thousand. — There being twelve 
tribes, this fact gave occasion for the 
use of the number twelve, which 
occurs so frequently in the Apoca- 
lypse. The Christians being repre- 
sented by the tribes, and being, in 
fact, called, metaphorically, "the 
twelve tribes of Israel/' Matt. xix. 



twelve thousand. Of the tribe 
of Manasses were sealed twelve 
thousand. 

7 Of the tribe of Simeon were 
sealed twelve thousand. Of the 
tribe of Levi were sealed twelve 
thousand. Of the tribe of Issa- 
char were sealed twelve thou- 
sand. 

28, almost everything appertaining to 
the New Jerusalem has the mark 
twelve upon it. There are twelve 
gates, and twelve angels to guard 
them ; the wall of the city had twelve 
foundations, on which were engraved 
the names of the twelve apostles ; the 
wall measured twelve times twelve 
cubits, &c. &c. See under Rev. xxi. 
12, 14. By the use of the number 
twelve thousand in reference to each 
tribe, it is not intended to intimate 
that just so many were taken from 
each, or even an equal number from 
each. The certain number mentioned 
is not to be understood definitely. 
We have suggested, under ver. 4, that 
one hundred and forty-four thousand 
was perhaps somewhat near the num- 
ber of Jews that had been converted 
to Christianity at the time the Apoc- 
alypse was written ; but whether this 
suggestion is correct or incorrect, is a 
matter of very small importance in 
the present case. We regard the 
twelve thousand converts from each 
tribe as a mere metaphor to represent 
those Jews who had been brought to 
acknowledge the Lamb. The sealing 
in the forehead, mentioned verses 3 
and 4, shows that those who were to 
be preserved were "the elect," or the 
Christian converts. To place a name 
on a man's forehead, in the style of 
the Apocalypse, was to show what 
Master he served. Hence we read, 
"And I looked, and lo, a Lamb stood 
on the Mount Sion, and with him a 
hundred forty and four thousand, 
having his Father's name written in 
their foreheads;" Rev. xiv. 1. We 
read, also, that they who dwell in the 



CHAPTER VII. 



159 



S Of the tribe of Zabulon 
were sealed twelve thousand. 
Of the tribe of Joseph were 
sealed twelve thousand. Of the 
tribe of Benjamin were sealed 
twelve thousand. 

9 After this I beheld, and lo, 
a great multitude, which no man 
could number, of all nations, 
and kindreds, and people, and 

New Jerusalem shall see the Lamb's 
face, and 11 his name shall be in their 
foreheads ;" xxii. 4. They wore the 
Lamb's name in the most conspic- 
uous place ; they were not ashamed 
of it. On the same principle the 
enemies of Jesus are said to "have 
not the seal of God in their fore- 
heads ix. 4. The idolaters or wor- 
shippers of the beast are said to have 
received "a mark in their right hand, 
or in their foreheads;" xiii. 16; xiv. 
9 ■ xvii. 5 ; xx. 4. The sealing of 
the one hundred and forty-four thou- 
sand in their foreheads is a metaphor 
to show that they were known, and 
that they would escape the common 
destruction, and would be passed over 
in the general visitation, as the houses 
of the families of Israel were marked 
and passed over, when the first-born 
of the Egvptians were slain; Exod. 
xii. 21—29. 

9. Great multitude, which no man 
could number. — The persons men- 
tioned in the preceding verses, and 
which probably represented the Jew- 
ish converts, had been numbered ; 
there were one hundred and forty- 
four thousand of them. But now we 
have come to a multitude which no 
mun could number, Of all nations, 
and kindred, and people, and tongues. 
— These represent the Gentile Chris- 
tians, who were gathered from every 
nation. See Luke xiii. 29, where we 
are lold they came from the east, 
and the west, and the north, and the 
south, and sat down with Abraham, 
Isaac and Jacob, in the kingdom of 
God. % Stood before the throne. — 1 



tongues, stood before the throne, 
and before the Lamb, clothed 
with white robes, and palms in 
their hands ; 

10 And cried with a loud 
voice, saying, Salvation to our 
God which sitteth upon the 
throne, and unto the Lamb. 

11 And all the angels stood 
round about the throne, and 

They stood before the throne, i. e., 
they worshipped God and the Lamb. 

Clothed in white robes. — These were 
signs of purity, and palms in their 
hands were signs of victory. On 
the white robes, see the notes on 
Rev. iii. 4. 5, 18; iv. 4; vi. 11. 
Palm branches were used by victors 
to denote their conquests. This is 
the only instance of the use of the 
metaphor in the Bible. They had 
been everywhere dispersed ; but from 
all places where they lived, they looked 
up unto God. They had been per- 
secuted ; but they saw deliverance 
was nigh ; for the Jews were the 
instigators of persecution, not only in 
Judea, but in all other parts of the 
world. And during the awful judg- 
ments that were visited upon the 
Jews, the Christians looked with faith 
and constancy to Christ. 

10. And cried with a loud voice, say- 
ing, &c. — They praised God and the 
Lamb for deliverance from oppres- 
sion. The doxology in this case bears 
a striking resemblance to that in Rev. 
v. 13. The scene is represented as 
being in heaven ; and there is a cli- 
max of praise very similar to that 
which occurs in the chapter last men- 
tioned. There the cause of the praise 
was the fact that the Lamb had pre- 
vailed to open the sealed book ; here 
it is the sealing of the one hundred 
and forty-four thousand for preserva- 
tion, that fills all heaven with joy. 
It is imaginary : but it is beautiful. 

11. All the angels round about the 
throne. — See v. 11. The rhetorical 
form is almost precisely the same in 



160 



REVELATION. 



about the elders and the four 
beasts, and fell before the throne 
on their faces, and worshipped 
God, 

12 Saying, Amen : Blessing, 
and glory, and wisdom, and 
thanksgiving, and honor, and 
power, and might, be unto our 
God for ever and ever. Amen. 

both cases. It is a grand conception 
of the revelator's imagination. 

12. Blessing and glory, &c. — Under 
chapters iv. and v., we showed that 
the revelator gave a representation 
of the dwelling-place of the Most 
High. The verses before us seem to 
refer back to that representation, and 
show us all heaven worshipping God, 
and praising Him for his judgments, 
acquiescing in them, and blessing 
and glorifying God, and ascribing to 
him wisdom, and thanksgiving, and 
honor, and power, forever and ever. 
A doxology similar to this is found in 
Rev. xix. 1 — 4 : " And after these 
things I heard a great voice of much 
people in heaven, saying, Alleluia ; 
Salvation, and glory, and honor, and 
power, unto the Lord our God; for 
true and righteous are his judgments : 
for he hath judged the great whore, 
which did corrupt the earth with her 
fornication, and hath avenged the 
blood of his servants at her hand. 
And again they said, Alleluia. And 
her smoke rose up forever and ever. 
And the four and twenty elders and 
the four beasts fell down and wor- 
shipped God that sat on the throne, 
saying, Amen ; Alleluia." 

13. One of, the elders. — One of the 
four and twenty elders mentioned in 
Rev. iv. 4, 10. He is represented as 
asking the questions, " What are these 
which are arrayed in white robes ? 
and whence came they ? " in order to 
give an opportunity to say what fol- 
lows. The inquiry is made concern- 
ing those who were mentioned, ver. 
9, who were clothed with white robes, 
and who had palms in their hands. 



13 And one of the elders 
answered, saying unto me, What 
are these which are arrayed in 
white robes ? and whence came 
they? 

14 And I said unto him, Sir, 
thou knowest. And he said to 
me, These are they which came 
out of great tribulation, and have 

What are they ? what body of men ? 
what does their white dress purport ? 
and whence came they ? The elder 
himself is represented as knowing 
who they were, for he immediately 
described them. 

14. Came out of great tribulation. — 
Jesus told his disciples, " In the world 
ye shall have tribulation ;" John xvi. 
33. Paul had to endure great tribu- 
lation, and he bore testimony "that 
we must through much tribulation 
enter into the kingdom of God Acts 
xiv. 22. But the Christians were 
patient in tribulation; Rom. xii. 12; 
Christ comforted them in it ; 2 Cor. 
i. 4 ; they were exceedingly joyful in 
it ; 2 Cor. vii. 4 ; knowing that it 
could not separate them from the love 
of Christ ; Rom. viii. 35. When their 
enemies, the Jews, were destroyed, 
they (the Christians) were represented 
as coming out of great tribulation. 
*[[ Blood of the Lamb. — See the notes 
on Rev. i. 5- v. 9; and xii. 11. 
They had washed their robes and 
made them clean ; and that this 
washing represents Christian sancti- 
fication, is evident, for the robes were 
said to have been washed in "the 
blood of the Lamb." The blood of 
Jesus is made an emblem of his doc- 
trine, which he sealed with his blood. 
In the outward, literal sense, the blood 
of Jesus can cleanse nothing. His 
flesh and blood represent his doc- 
trine ; John vi. 63. It is his word, 
his doctrine, that washes away sin. 
"By mercy and truth iniquity is 
purged ;" Prov. xvi. 6. The church 
was cleansed by the "washing of 
water by the word;" Eph. v. 26. 



CHAPTER VII. 



161 



washed their robes, and made 
them white in the blood of the 
Lamb. 

15 Therefore are they before 
the throne of God, and serve 



This was " the washing of regenera- 
tion and the renewing of the Holy 
Ghost Titus iii. 5. 

15. Before the throne of God. — In 
what sense were thev " before the 
throne of God?" They had an 
habitual sense of his presence ; they 
lived near to him; they acknowl- 
edged his divine government; they 
praised and glorified his name ; they 
rendered him willing obedience. 
Thus were they before the throne of 
God. % Served him day and night in 
his temple. — They were, by metaphor, 
represented as kings and priests unto 
God ; Rev. i. 6 ; v. 10 ; and of course 
it may be said they served him, like 
the priests of old, day and night, i. e., 
continually, in his temple. Not in the 
outward temple upon Mount Zion, 
but in the inward, spiritual temple, 
of which the edifice on Zion was the 
representative. In the New Jerusa- 
lem, there is no need of any outward 
temple. John "saw no temple there- 
in ; for the Lord God Almighty and 
the Lamb are the temple of it ;" Rev. 
xxi. 22. It was a spiritual temple. 
There is now a temple to God wher- 
ever the saints assemble to worship. 
When Jacob had his vision of the 
Almighty, he awoke and said, " This 
is none other than the house of God, 
and the very gate of heaven ;" Gen. 
xxviii. 17. " Know ye not that ye 
are the temple of God ?" said Paul to 
his brethren ; 1 Cor. iii. 16, 17 ; vi. 
19 ; 2 Cor. vi. 16. They served God 
in the spirit continually ; the allusion 
to the temple is merely metaphorical. 
% Shall dwell among them. — If men 
are said in the spiritual sense to be 
the temple of God, He may be said to 
dwell among them. In this sense 
God " dwells among men/"' in their 
hearts, by the power of his truth and 
love ; Rev. xxi. 3. All this may be 

14* 



him day and night in his tem- 
ple : and he that sitteth on the 
throne shall dwell among them. 

16 They shall hunger no 
more, neither thirst any more ; 



enjoyed by the believer here on the 
earth. God "dwelleth not in temples 
made with hands," but in the spiritual 
temple of the heart. He dwelt in 
Jesus and in his disciples ; yea, all 
the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in 
him. " He that keepeth his command- 
ments dwelleth in him, and he in him. 
And hereby we know that he abideth 
in us, by the spirit which he hath 
given us;" 1 John iii. 24. "If we 
love one another, God dwelleth in us," 
for "'God is love;" 1 John iv. 8. 12, 
15, 16. Such is the sense in which 
God dwells among his saints. 

16. They shall hunger no more. — 
Hunger and thirst are put for the 
need which the soul hath of divine 
truth. The figures here are the most 
beautiful that the mind can conceive. 
Divine truth is to the soul what nour- 
ishment is to the body. " Man shall 
not live by bread alone, but by every 
word that proceedeth out of the mouth 
of God ;" Matt. iv. 4. Sublime truth ! 
Jesus was the living bread. Whoso 
eateth that bread hath eternal life • 
John vi. 58. " And Jesus said unto 
them, I am the bread of life : he that 
cometh to me shall never hunger • 
and he that believeth on me shall 
never thirst;" Idem, 35. His doc- 
trine was also represented as the 
"water of life." "Whoso drinketh 
of the water that I shall give him 
(said Jesus) shall never thirst; but the 
water that I shall give him shall be in 
him a well of water springing up into 
everlasting life ;" Johniv. 14. Hence 
it is said of believers, who dwell in 
God's spiritual temple, " They shall 
hunger no more, neither thirst any 
more." ^[ Neither shall the sun light 
on them. — The meaning is, they shall 
be relieved of all distress. One 
species of human distress is hunger ; 
the redeemed shall hunger no more. 



162 



REVELATION. 



neither shall the sun light on 
them, nor any heat. 

17 For the Lamb which is in 
the midst of the throne shall 



Another kind of distress, perhaps 
more poignant, is thirst ; the redeem- 
ed shall thirst no more. Men fre- 
quently suffer when on deserts, or 
wrecks of ships, not only from hun- 
ger and thirst, but also from the 
scorching rays of the sun ; but the 
redeemed are safe, — the sun shall 
not light on them. The description 
is evidently taken from Isaiah xlix. 
10 : "They shall not hunger nor 
thirst, neither shall the heat nor sun 
smite them : for he that hath mercy 
on them shall lead them, even by the 
springs of water shall he guide them." 
The blessings of the Messiah's king- 
dom are represented sometimes by 
the prophets under the metaphor of a 
tent or shadow, that screens men from 
the extreme heat of the sun ; Isaiah 
iv. 6 : xxv. 4 ; xxxii. 2. 

17. Lamb in the midst of the throne. 
— This is agreeable to the description 
in Rev. v. 6. ^[ Shall feed them. — 
This is the reason they shall hunger 
no more ; ver. 16. Jesus, the Lamb 
of God, in this case assumes the char- 
acter of a shepherd; and his church 
are his flock. He feeds them, as the 
shepherd feeds his flock. False 
teachers are compared to shepherds 
who feed not their flocks. See Ezek. 
xxxiv. 2, 3, 10. Jesus said to Simon 
Peter, "Feed my lambs," "Feed 
my sheep:" John xxi. 15, 16 ; i. e., 
nourish the flock. John had the au- 
thority of his Master, then, for the 
metaphor. St. Paul said to the 
Ephesian elders, "Take heed, there- 
fore, unto yourselves, and to all the 
flock over the which the Holy Ghost 
hath made you overseers, to feed the 
church of God, which he hath pur- 
chased with his own blood ;" Acts 
xx. 28. And Peter gives the same 
advice to the elders of the church, 1 
E pis. v. 2. *\\ Shall lead them by liv 
ing fountains. — Here the metaphor 



feed them, and shall lead them 
unto living fountains of waters ; 
and God shall wipe away all 
tears from their eyes. 



of the shepherd is still kept up. How 
much like the language of the 23d 
Psalm. " The Lord is my shepherd ; 
I shall not want He maketh me to 
lie down in green pastures ; he lead- 
eth me beside the still waters ;" ver. 
1, 2. The tenderest care which the 
shepherd can bestow upon his flock 
is here used to represent the care 
which Jesus had for his faithful fol- 
lowers. The goodness of God "is a 
fountain of living waters ;" Jer. ii. 
13. Refreshing his people on the 
knowledge of divine love, Jesus in- 
deed leads them "unto living foun- 
tains of water." In Rev. xxi. 6 it is 
said, " I will give unto him that is 
athirst of the fountain of the water 
of life freely." ^ Wipe away all tears 
from their eyes. — This heightens the 
description, which had been truly 
beautiful without it. To wipe away 
tears is put for the removal of all 
causes of sorrow. The gospel is 
said to wipe all tears away ; Isa. 
xxv. 8 ; Rev. xxi. 4. This passage 
in the 7th chapter, 13 — 17, is one of 
the most beautiful in the whole book. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

1. And when he had opened the 
seventh seal. — We now come to the 
opening .of the seventh seal, or roll, 
(sealed book,) of which we found a 
description in chap. v. 1 — 7. The 
opening of six of these seals has been 
described in chap. vi. In the 8th 
chapter we have a more particular 
description of the woes that were to 
fall upon the Jews previously to the 
approach of the Roman armies. The 
approach of these armies is mentioned 
in chapter ix. The opening of the 
first seal is described chap, vi., verse 
1 ; of the second, verse 3 ; of the 
third, verse 5 ; of the fourth, verse 7 ; 
of the fifth, verse 9 ; and of the sixth, 
verse 12. The famines, the pesti- 



CHAPTER VIII. 



163 



CHAPTER VIII. 

AND when he had opened 
the seventh seal, there was 

lences, and the earthquakes, men- 
tioned chap. vi.. were •'< the beginning 
of sorrows ;" Matt. xxiv. 7, 8 ; and 
therefore are put down first in the 
order of the Apocalypse. Then comes 
the persecution and killing of the 
Christians, or martyrs ; Matt. xxiv. 
9 — 12 ; and hence the crying of the 
martyrs for vengeance is placed next 
in the Apocalypse ; vi. 9 — 11. Next 
in order in 24th of Matthew, comes a 
premonition of the "abomination of 
desolation," verse 15, which is de- 
scribed under the sixth seal in the 
Apocalypse, 12 — 17. Jesus then 
states that the Christians were to be 
saved from these calamities, Matt, 
xxiv. 16 — 21, which is beautifully de- 
scribed in the Apocalypse by the seal- 
ing of the 144,000, chap. vii. For 
the sake of the elect, or the believers, 
the days of tribulation at first were 
shortened, or remitted ; the siege was 
raised for a short time, Matt. xxiv. 
22 ; and thus the Christians escaped ; 
which is represented in the Apocalypse 
by the angels holding back the winds 
from blowing on the earth, to destroy it, 
until the 144,000 of spiritual Israel 
were sealed ; vii. 1—3. Thus we find 
that so far as the destruction of Jerusa- 
lem is concerned, the order of Christ in 
describing the events in his prophecy, 
in Matt, xxiv., is principally followed 
by the revelator in his seven seals. 
The events placed by our Lord as 
happening immediately before the fall 
of the city, are described in the fol- 
lowing words : — " Then if any man 
shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, 
or there ; believe it not. For there 
shall arise false Christs, and false 
prophets, and shall show great signs 
and wonders ; insomuch that, if it 
were possible, they shall deceive the 
very elect. Behold, I have told you 
before. Wherefore, if they shall say 
unto you, Behold, he is in the desert ; 
go not forth : behold, he is in the 
secret chambers ; believe it not :" 



silence in heaven about the space 
of half an hour. 

2 And I saw the seven angels 

Matt. xxiv. 23—26. These are the 
events which are described in bold 
and glowing metaphors in the 8th 
chapter of Revelation, under the 
opening of the seventh seal, which is 
subdivided into seven parts. «[[ Si- 
lence in heaven. — The metaphors are 
still based on the plan of the services 
in the temple. We behold, in verse 
3, that the angel came and stood at 
the altar, having a golden censer. 
This was preparatory to offering in- 
cense in the holy place. The people 
stood without, i. e., without the sacred 
place, in some other part of the tem- 
ple, every one in secret, silent prayer 
the meanwhile. The Lord was sup- 
posed to be in the temple, in a special 
manner, at the time of incense. 
Hence it is said, " The Lord is in his 
holy temple ; let all the earth keep 
silence before him Hab. ii. 20. 
The same service is more definitely 
referred to, Luke i. 9 — 10 : " Accord- 
ing to the custom of the priest's office, 
his lot was to burn incense when he 
went into the temple of the Lord. 
And the whole multitude of the peo- 
ple were praying without, at the time 
of incense." The prayer was secret, 
in each one's soul, and silence of 
course prevailed. When the Lamb 
opened the seventh seal, and prepara- 
tion was made for burning incense, 
there was said to be, in conformity 
to the temple service, "silence in 
heaven about the space of half an 
hour," which was probably about the 
length of time that was consumed in 
this part of the temple service. 

2. Seven angels which stood before 
God. — These are those we call the 
angels of the divine presence, be- 
cause they always stand before God, 
like the seven confidential ministers, 
nearest the throne of the earthly mon- 
arch. See Tobit xii. 18. See, also, 
the notes on the angelology of the 
Apocalypse under v. 2, and the notes 
on i. 4, iii. 1, iv. 5. The events 



164 REVELATION. 



which stood before God ; and to 
them were given seven trumpets. 

3 And another angel came 
and stood at the altar, having a 
golden censer ; and there was 
given unto him much incense, 
that he should offer it with the 
prayers of all saints upon the 
golden altar which was before 
the throne. 



under the seventh seal are divided 
into seven parts ; and hence seven 
trumpets, with which to announce 
those events, are placed in the hands 
of the seven angels. The whole, of 
course, is scenical. 

3. Another angel. — This was the 
angel of the golden censer. — Angel- 
ology, Apoc, §9. ^ At the altar. — 
The altar here spoken of was unques- 
tionably the altar of incense, as in- 
cense was about to be offered. It is 
mentioned Exod. xxx. 27. ^[ Golden 
censer. — The golden censer was for 
the purpose of incense. The sacred 
vessels were many of them of gold and 
silver, and hence were for their value 
carried off into Babylon, at the cap- 
tivity, and afterwards restored ; Ezra 
vi. 5, and Dan. v. 2. 3. The censer 
was of pure gold ; 1 Kings vii. 50 ; 2 
Chron. iv. 22 ; Heb. ix. 4. f Given 
unto him much incense. — To the angel 
was given much incense, the occasion 
being an extraordinary one. ^[ That 
he should offer it. — This he was to 
offer while the people were in silent 
prayer. He offered it during the 
prayers — during the half hour's si- 
lence. We have already shown, on 
chapter v. 8, that the odors were the 
prayers of saints. " Let my prayer 
be set before thee as incense Psa. 
cxli. 2. The Jews gave themselves 
much to prayer, as did also the Chris- 
tians ; Acts vi. 4. The Jewish Chris- 
tians were directed specially to pray 
during the calamities of the nation ; 
Matt, xxiv.20. In fact, the believers 
everywhere were directed to pray in 
reference to that event. See 1 Peter 



4 And the smoke of the in- 
cense, which came with the 
prayers of the saints, ascended 
up before God out of the angel's 
hand. 

5 And the angel took the 
censer, and filled it with fire of 
the altar, and cast it into the 
earth ; and there were voices, 
and thunderings, and lightnings, 

iv. 7: "The end of all things is at 
hand [referring unquestionably to 
the destruction of Jerusalem] : be 
ye therefore sober, and match unto 
prayer." 

4. Ascended up before God. • — At 
that time, especially, therefore, the 
prayers of Christians everywhere as- 
cended to heaven, denoted by the 
words, " And the smoke of the in- 
cense, which came with the prayers 
of the saints, ascended up before 
God, out of the angel's hand." 

5. Filled it with fire. — The facts 
mentioned in the verse are prepar- 
atory to what is to follow, — a sort 
of metaphorical introduction to the 
threatened judgments. Fire was al- 
ways burning on the altar; Lev. xvi. 
12 ; Isa. vi. 6. It is used to signify 
not only the judgments which God 
sends upon the earth, but the purify- 
ing power of God, and ofttimes the 
purifying power of his judgments. It 
is put for the judgments of God in the 
verse before us. The angel filled the 
censer with fire from the altar, and 
cast it on the earth, or land of Judea, 
to show that further judgments were 
to fall on the Jews. A great commo- 
tion followed. " There were voices, 
and thunderings, and lightnings, and 
an earthquake ;" a figure of tumults, 
anger, great noises, frightful visita- 
tions from heaven, and a great over- 
throw. We think the figure of tak- 
ing fire from the altar to cast upon 
the earth is designed to show that the 
judgments originated in heaven ; and 
are sent out from the presence of 
God. So the desolation of Israel was 



CHAPTER VIII. 



165 



and an earthquake. 

6 And the seven angels which 
had the seven trumpets prepared 
themselves to sound. 

7 The first angel sounded, 
and there followed hail and fire 
mingled with blood, and they 

described by Ezek. ix. and x. Ob- 
serve carefully x. 1, 2. 

6. Prepared themselves to sound.— 
No further delay is to be expected. 
All is now ready for the commence- 
ment of final action. The woes were 
about to come ; they were just on the 
point of commencing : and hence it 
is said, the angels prepared them- 
selves to sound. 

7. Hail and fire mingled with blood. 

— The figure here signified destruc- 
tion. What could be more expressive 
of devastation, with loss of life added 
thereto, than " hail and fire mingled 
with blood > " The figure is borrowed 
from the Old Testament. One of the 
judgments upon Egypt was thunder, 
hail and fire ; Exod. ix. 21—25. The 
figures of hail and fire for judgments 
originated here. See, also, Ezek. 
xxxviii. 22 : " And I will plead 
against him with pestilence and with 
blood ; and I will rain upon him, and 
upon his bands, and upon the many 
people that are with him, an over- 
flowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, 
and brimstone." Third part of trees. 

— The third part of trees being burnt 
signified that this was as yet but a 
partial destruction. This is not the 
treading of the holy city under foot. 
That was to be done by the Roman 
armies ; and we have not yet come to 
that part of the Apocalypse in which 
the approach of the Roman armies is 
described. In our judgment, what 
follows in the chapter before us refers 
to the tumults among the Jews them- 
selves, which broke out in different 
places, some in the country, some on 
the coast, near the sea, and some in 
the holy city, endangering the very 
city itself, which was threatened to 
be destroyed by the quarrels of dif- 



were cast upon the earth, and 
the third part of trees was burnt 
up, and all green grass was 
burnt up. 

8 And the second angel 
sounded, and as it were a great 
mountain burning with fire was 

ferent portions of the Jews, without 
the aid of the Roman armies. The 
destruction being described by burn- 
ing, or overthrow of the forests and 
herbage, or grass, is drawn also, we 
think, from the account of the plague 
of hail in Egypt, Exod. ix. 22, 25. 

8. The second angel sounded. ■ — This 
opens another series of calamities, 
— another source of woe. % A great 
mountain burning with fire. — High 
mountains and lofty hills denoted 
kingdoms, republics, states, cities, and 
proud men that exalt themselves. 
See how Isaiah describes the fall of 
the proud and lofty : " For the day 
of the Lord of hosts shall be upon 
every one that is proud and lofty, and 
upon every one that is lifted up ; and 
he shall be brought low : and upon 
all the cedars of Lebanon, that are 
high and lifted up, and upon all the 
oaks of Bashan, and upon all the high 
mountains, and upon all the hills that 
are lifted up;" ii. 12 — 14. Here it 
is manifest, that by the high moun- 
tains and hills were intended those 
that were proud and lofty. ^[ Cast 
into the sea. — The figure of throwing 
down a burning mountain is bor- 
rowed from Jer. li. 25: " Behold, I 
am against thee, destroying moun- 
tain, saith the Lord, which destroyest 
all the earth : and I will stretch out 
my hand upon thee, and roll thee 
down from the rocks, and will make 
thee a burnt mountain." See Ezek. 
xxxviii. 14 — 23, where the reader 
will find a train of metaphors very 
similar to those which occur in the 
chapter before us. See, also, Amos 
vii. 4, and Rev. xvi. 3. The burning 
mountain may well have represented 
some proud, ambitious, influential 
and seditious person, claiming to be a 



166 



REVELATION. 



cast into the sea : and the third 
part of the sea became blood. 

9 And the third part of the 
creatures which were in the sea, 
and had life, died ; and the third 
part of the ships were destroyed. 

Christ, or a prophet, leading multi- 
tudes astray, and causing their de- 
struction. He falls in the midst of a 
blaze of divine judgments. What 
would more fitly represent such an 
individual, than " a great mountain 
burning with fire ? " and what would 
more fitly represent his fall, in answer 
to the faith and prayers of the Chris- 
tians, than the fall of the mountain 
into the sea ? Jesus told his follow- 
ers, if they had faith, " ye shall say 
unto this mountain, Be thou removed, 
and be thou cast into the sea ; it shall 
be done;" Matt. xxi. 21. Does not 
the reader see, that the judgments 
coming on the Jews, being represent- 
ed by a mountain removed from its 
base, agrees precisely with the meta- 
phorical language of the sixth chap- 
ter, which, in point of subject, is the 
predecessor of this : "And every 
mountain and island were moved out 
of their places 14. There is a con- 
gruity in the metaphors through this 
whole connection. 

9. Third part of the creatures. — 
The judgment was yet a partial one, 
preliminary to the great and final 
overthrow of the nation. See Exod. 
vii. 19 — 21 for an account of the 
events which probably gave rise to 
these metaphors. 

10. The third angel sounded. — We 
now proceed to another woe described 
in the highly metaphorical language 
of the revelator. f[ There fell a great 
star. — How well comports this with 
vi. 13. " And the stars of heaven fell 
upon the earth, even as a fig-tree 
casteth her untimely figs, when she 
is shaken of a mighty wind." This 
metaphor also is borrowed from the 
prophets. Stars are sometimes used 
to represent good men, and sometimes 
bad men. It is quite possible, the 



10 And the third angel sound- 
ed, and there fell a great star 
from heaven, burning as it were 
a lamp, and it fell upon a third 
part of the rivers, and upon the 
fountains of waters ; 

reader may think, it would have been 
much better, if the writer of the Apoc- 
alypse had seen fit to use plain lan- 
guage, which would have been more 
easily understood. We reply, this 
style of writing has a very different 
appearance to us from that which it 
presented to the people to whom it 
was addressed. They were used to 
it ; and instruction could well be con- 
veyed to them by such means. Our 
object is not to find fault with the 
style of the Apocalypse, but to ex- 
plain it, according to the best of our 
means and ability, by the help of 
other parts of the word of God. Stars, 
we said, are sometimes used to rep- 
resent good men and sometimes bad. 
At one time the star signifies a con- 
queror ■ Numb. xxiv. 17 : " There shall 
come a Star out of Jacob, and a 
Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and 
shall smite the corners of Moab, and 
destroy all the children of Sheth." 
At another it signifies the rulers of 
the church ; Rev. i. 20, " The seven 
stars are the angels of the seven 
churches." Wicked apostates are 
said to be " wandering stars," that 
go from light into outer darkness. 
The fall of the King of Babylon was 
represented as the fall of a star from 
heaven. The figure is very striking. 
He was proud and aspiring : he ex- 
alted himself greatly, even "above 
the stars of God;" he said, "I will 
ascend above the heights of the 
clouds, — I will be like the Most 
High." But he was brought down to 
destruction ; and after his debasement 
it was said to him, " How art thou 
fallen from heaven, Lucifer, son 
of the morning! [or morning star] 
how art thou cut down to the ground, 
which didst weaken the nations ;" 
Isa. xiv. 12. The fall of the star 



chapter vm. 



1 ft" 1 

lot 



11 And the name of the star 
is called Wormwood : and the 
third part of the waters became 
wormwood ; and many men died 
of the waters, because they were 
made bitter. 

mentioned in Rev. viii. 10, 11, may- 
well represent the overthrow of some 
leader, some false Christ, some prin- 
cipal one among the seditious, or the 
zealots, who led his followers into 
bitter suffering and death. The Jews 
were the prey of the ambition of such 
unprincipled men, and had been for 
some time before. See Acts x.vi.. 3- : 
f* Art not thou that Egyptian, which 
before these days madest an uproar, 
and leddest out into the wilderness 
four thousand men that were mur- 
derers V Third part of the rivers. 
— The destruction is a partial one, 
preliminary (as we have before said) 
to the great and final overthrow of 
the nation. Our Saviour assured his 
followers that previous to the great 
event, false Christs should arise, and 
lead the people astray. They should 
"show great signs and wonders;" 
Matt. xxiv. 24 ; they should be greatly 
lifted up ; and if the fall of bad rulers 
and w r icked men from eminent places 
was represented in prophetic style by 
the fall of stars, [as it surely was,] 
why may not the fall of some leader, 
among these false Christs, be repre- 
sented by the fall of a star from 
heaven? But the judgment as yet 
was only partial. 

11. Name of the starts called Worm- 
wood. — The star of which we are 
speaking, was called '•Wormwood." 
to show its effect. It brought the 
deepest bitterness of anguish upon the 
people when it fell. Perhaps the 
figure of bitterness was originally 
drawn from Exod. xv. 23, 24. Idol- 
atry was a root of bitterness or worm- 
wood to the Jews, and brought upon 
them severe judgments. See Deut. 
xxix. 18. In describing to young 
men the lips of the strange woman, 
Solomon says, they ••' drop as a honey- 



12 And the fourth angel 
sounded, and the third part of 
the sun was smitten, and the 
third part of the moon, and the 
third part of the stars ; so as the 
third part of them was darkened, 

j comb, and her mouth is smoother 
than oil : but her end is bitter as 
wormwood, sharp as a two-edged 
sword Prov. v. 3, 4. God threat- 
ened the Jews, before he sent his 
judgments upon them, '-I will feed 
this people with wormwood, and give 
them water of gall to drink Jer. ix. 
15 ; xxiii. 15. How appropriate then, 
j in an address to the Asiatic churches, 
to describe the overthrow of a leader, 
who was to involve many others in 
his fate, as the fall of a star, whose 
name was "Wormwood. Wise men 
early learned to give names to stars ; 
in fact, God himself is said, in the 
style of the ancients, "to call them 
{ all bv their names Psa. cxlvii. 4 ; 
I Isa. xl. 26. 

12. Third part of the sun. — Under 
j the sounding of the fourth angel, the 
I woes seem to be still more tremen- 
dous and alarming. It is not now the 
destruction in part of the trees, or the 
grass, or the fountains of water ; but 
greater far than that, — it is the 
destruction of the third part of the 
sun, the moon and the stars. These 
stand for the highest earthly dignita- 
ries, and the most glorious places. 
What, then, may this represent more 
fitly than the tumults m the very 
city, and in the temple, — the holy 
place ; which we know were carried 
on there before and during the siege 
by the Roman armies ? It had been 
represented, in the preceding chapter, 
I that " the sun became black as sack- 
| cloth of hair, and the moon became 
; as blood, and the stars of heaven 
fell unto the earth ;" verses 12, 13 ; 
which we interpreted to signify great 
| civil and political changes. In the 
I verse before us, as we have said, it is 
the third part of the sun, moon and 
I stars that are smitten. Without, 



168 



REVELATION. 



and the day shone not for a third 
part of it, and the night likewise. 

13 And I beheld, and heard 
an angel flying through the 
midst of heaven, saying, with a 



therefore, being presumptive in the 
application, we think it perfectly safe 
to say, that this denotes, not the full 
destruction of the high powers of the 
Jewish state, but commotions among 
them, so that their power was partly 
stricken down, and they were thereby 
more easily made the prey of their 
enemies without the city. We shall 
have occasion to show, before we 
close our examination of the part of 
the Apocalypse which relates to the 
Jews, that, so far as human judgment 
can decide, had it not been for the 
contentions among the Jewish leaders, 
both in church and state, their city 
never could have been overthrown. 

13. Angel flying through the midst 
of heaven. — The term angel is ap- 
plied, in the Bible, to any being, or 
thing, sent out of God for a special 
purpose. To fly in the midst of 
heaven, may signify flying in the air, 
between heaven and earth, or it may 
signify moving about among the 
powers of heaven, which had been 
mentioned in the preceding verse. 

" Saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, 
woe." — The figure of the angel, in 
this case, may have been introduced 
merely to announce that three woes 
remained to be fulfilled ; or possibly 
it may have reference to a singular 
Jewish personage, who appeared in 
Jerusalem, in the midst of the great- 
est tumult, a description of whom we 
take from Josephus. What that his- 
torian reckoned the most horrible of 
all, was one Jesus, an ordinary fel- 
low, who came to the feast of taber- 
nacles, and ran crying up and down 
the street day and night, "A voice 
from the east, a voice from the west, a 
voice from the four winds, a voice against 
Jerusalem and the temple, a voice against 
the bridegrooms and the brides, a voice 
against all the people." The magis- 



loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to 
the inhabiters of the earth, by 
reason of the other voices of 
the trumpet of the three angels, 
which are yet to sound ! 

trates endeavored by stripes and tor- 
ture to restrain him; but he still 
cried with a mournful voice, " Woe, 
woe to Jerusalem ! " This he con- 
tinued to do for seven years and five 
months together, and especially at the 
great festivals ; and he neither grew 
hoarse, nor was tired ; but went about 
the walls and cried with a loud voice, 
" Woe, woe to the city and to the tem- 
ple ;" and as he added at last, " Woe,, 
woe also to myself" it happened that 
a stone from some sling or engine 
immediately struck him dead. Let it 
be observed, that the woes denounced 
by him were not those which had 
happened under the first four trum- 
pets, but those which were to happen 
under the last three. " Woe, woe, woe, 
to the inhabiters of the earth, by rea- 
son of the other voices of the trumpet 
of the three angels, which are yet to 
sown,d." Notwithstanding, however, 
the close similarity between the angel 
and this personage in Jerusalem, it is 
by no means certain he was referred 
to by the revel ator. In the scenery 
of the chapter, the angel may have 
been introduced merely to show that 
three out of the seven woes remained 
to be fulfilled. This will introduce us 

tO the THREE WOE TRUMPETS. 

CHAPTER IX. 

1. And the fifth angel sounded. — 
Of the seven angels who were to 
sound their trumpets, as described in 
the seventh seal, viii. 3, the sounding 
of four has been mentioned in the 
preceding chapter. Three more woes 
remain, as mentioned in the last verse 
of that chapter, — " Woe, woe, woe, to 
the inhabiters of the earth, by reason 
of the other voices of the trumpet of 
the three angels, which are yet to 
sound." We have hitherto followed 



CHAPTER IX. 



169 



A 



CHAPTER IX. 

XD the fifth angel sounded, 
and I saw a star fall from 



the order of events as described by 
the Saviour in the 24th of Matthew, 
and to that we shall still adhere ; for 
it seems that in describing the woes 
that fell upon the Jews, the revelator 
made that order of events the ground- 
work of his description. In the 8th 
chapter, we found a description, 
couched in the highly metaphorical 
language of that book, of the intes- 
tinal divisions and tumults of the 
Jews ; and of the fall of the leaders 
in these rebellious and sectional up- 
risings. For the Saviour's premoni- 
tion of those events, see Matt. xxiv. 
23 — 28. Let us now quote the next 
section of the Saviours prophecy : — 
" Immediately after the tribulation of 
those days, shall the sun be dark- 
ened, and the moon shall not give her 
light, and the stars shall fall from 
heaven, and the powers of the heav- 
ens shall be shaken : and then shall 
appear the sign of the Son of man in 
heaven : and then shall all the tribes 
of the earth mourn, and they shall see 
the Son of man coming in the clouds 
of heaven with power and great 
glory ;" Matt. xxiv. 29, 30. Observe, 
these events happened immediately 
after the appearance of the false 
Christs and leaders, who broke the 
Jewish nation into factions and led 
them astray. This weakened their 
power, which was represented by the 
smiting of a third part of the sun, 
moon and stars. But the great calam- 
ity is about to come. The sun and 
the moon shall be totally darkened ; 
the stars shall fall from heaven, and 
the powers of the heavens shall be 
shaken. Then, shall appear the sign 
of the Son of man in heaven, / 
sow a star fall. — A star fell from 
heaven, or, as Dr. A. Clarke says, 
"An angel, encompassed with light, 
suddenly descended ; and seemed like 
a star falling from heaven. 1 ' We 
think this the idea to be conveyed ; 
15 



heaven unto the earth : and to 
him was given the key of the 
bottomless pit. 

2 And he opened the bottom- 

for. 1st. This is not the star "Worm- 
wood," of which we treated in the 
commentary on the preceding chap- 
ter. Xo name is given to this star ; 
it is a pure orb of light. 2d. It had a 
commission from above ; " to him 
was given the key of the bottomless 
pit." Who gave the angel, or star, 
that key ? See Rev. i. 18: " I am 
he that liveth and was dead [Jesus :] 
and behold, I am alive forevermore, 
Amen ; and have the keys of hell and 
of death." It is "he that openeth 
and no man shutteth, and shutteth 
and no man openeth;" Rev. iii. 7. 
He gave the key to the angel who 
descended from heaven. 3d. This 
seems to be the same angel men- 
tioned Rev. xx. 1 : " And I saw an 
angel come down from heaven, hav- 
ing the key of the bottomless pit, and 
a great chain in his hand." As the 
giving the keys of the kingdom of 
heaven to Peter signified giving him 
authority to bind and loose, (Matt, 
xvi. 19,) so the giving the key of the 
bottomless pit to the angel, signified 
giving him power to let loose the 
hordes confined there. 

2. Bottomless pit. — This is solely 
an Apocalyptical expression, and oc- 
curs Rev. ix. 1, 2, 11 ; xi. 7 ; xvii. 8 ; 
xx. 1, 3. What strange ideas have 
filled the minds of Christians con- 
cerning this pit. And after all. we 
are obliged to say that the original 
phrase does not warrant the transla- 
tion bottomless pit. The true signifi- 
cation is, the well of the abyss, or deep 
within a deep. It is an intensive 
expression to represent the deepest 
abyss, — a hyperbole, like that of 
Milton, 

" And in the lowest dppth, a lower deep, 
Still threai'ning to devour me, opens wide." 

But it is only in two cases (Rev. ix. 
1, 2) out of the seven mentioned above, 
that there is even the slightest ground 



170 



REVELATION. 



less pit ; and there arose a smoke 
oat of the pit, as the smoke of a 

for pretence that the word bottomless 
is a just translation ; for in the other 
Jive cases the word abussos (abyss) 
stands by itself, without any attempt 
to increase its force ; and in these 
cases the word abyss would convey 
the exact meaning of the original 
word. When we read (Luke viii. 
31) that the demons besought our 
Lord that he would not command 
them to go out into the deep," it might 
as well have been translated bottom- 
less pit here as in the Apocalypse, for 
it is precisely the same word in the 
Greek. And yet who does not know 
that by " the deep," in that place, was 
meant the sea of Galilee, on the shores 
of which the transaction occurred ? 
The phrase abyss, or depth of the 
abyss, in the case before us, is purely 
metaphorical. When it is said (liev. 
xiii. 1) that a beast rose up out of the 
sea, it means precisely the same as in 
Rev. xi. 7, " the beast ascendeth out 
of the bottomless pit." As all bless- 
ings, in the view of the Jews, came 
down from above, so scourges, 
although under the wise direction of 
God, were supposed to come up from 
beneath. In the former case God 
is said to " open the windows of 
heaven;" Mai. iii. 10; in the latter, 
to unlock the depth of the abyss, or 
the bottomless pit. This is all, we 
are confident, that the expression 
means. The word pit is often used 
metaphorically in the Scriptures. To 
be abased, to be cut off, to be 
destroyed, is to go down into the pit ; 
Job xxxiii. 18, 24, 28, 30 ; Psa. ix. 
15; xxviii. 1; xxxv. 7; xl. 2; cxix. 
85 ; cxl. 10 ; Prov. xxviii. 10 ; Isa. 
<xiv. 16 — 23. The latter passage 
specially will show, that by pit, in the 
metaphorical sense, is meant a low 
state, beneath the common state of 
man. To come up out of the pit, was 
to come up from beneath. Jesus was 
from above ; his enemies, the Jews, 
were from beneath ; John viii. 23. 
Opening the bottomless pit was noth- 1 



great furnace ; and the sun and 

the air were darkened by reason 

ing more than giving men permission 
to come up from beneath, from a low 
estate, from among the commonality, 
from the multitude, which is fre- 
quently represented by the sea ; and 
an angry multitude by the waves of 
the sea. " Open to me the gates of 
righteousness ;" Psa. cxviii. 19. To 
open the doors of heaven, is to cause 
the rain to descend ; Ixxviii. 23 ; 
Ezek. xxxvii. 12 ; Zech. xi. 1 ; Mai. 
iii. 10 ; Acts xiv. 27. To open the 
bottomless pit, then, was to give the 
hosts permission to come upon Judea. 
Being looked upon as scourges, they 
were said to come from beneath. 
There is no word in the English lan- 
guage that so well conveys the sense 
of the Greek word as abyss. % Smoke 
out of the pit. — This is but a part of 
the scenery to represent the gloom 
that was to spread itself over the 
land, when the hosts of the enemy 
issued, as it were, out of the abyss, to 
overrun Judea. ^ Sun and the air 
were darkened. — In further carrying 
out the metaphor, smoke is said to 
arise out of the abyss, like the smoke 
of a great furnace, " and the sun and 
the air were darkened by reason of the 
smoke of the pit." How closely does 
this resemble the language of Jesus, 
already quoted, " Immediately after 
the tribulation of those days shall the 
sun be darkened?' &x. ; Matt. xxiv. 
29. And how exactly does this agree 
with the description of the prophet 
Joel : " Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, 
and sound an alarm in my holy 
mountain : let all the inhabitants of 
the land tremble : for the day of the 
Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand ; 
a day of darkness and of gloominess, a 
day of clouds and of thick darkness, as 
the morning [fogs or vapors which 
prevail before the sun rises] spread 
upon the mountains ;" Joel ii. 1, 2. 
With such guides we feel a strong 
confidence in referring the chapter 
before us to the events connected with 
the destruction of Jerusalem. There 



CHAPTER IX. 



171 



of the smoke of the pit. 

3 And there came out of the 
smoke locusts upon the earth : 
and unto them was given power, 
as the scorpions of the earth 
have power. 

4 And it was commanded 
them that they should not hurt 
the grass of the earth, neither 
any green thing, neither any 
tree ; but only those men which 



seems to be the same general strain 
of metaphor both in the prophets and 
in the prophecy of our Lord, in regard 
to the destruction of Jerusalem. The 
revelator follows them ; but is more 
metaphorical than either. No reader, 
however, can fail to see the similarity 
in their style. 

3. Came out of the smoke locusts. — 
And what do these locusts represent 
but the first approach of the Roman 
army? "Locusts," (says Dr. Lan- 
caster, in his abridgment of Daubuz.) 
"fly in such prodigious numbers, as 
that they form a great cloud and 
darken the sky ; and then falling upon 
the earth, make a most terrible havoc 
of all the fruits thereof; and so are a 
proper symbol to signify AN ARMY 
of enemies coming in vast multi- 
tudes," &c. &c. — (Quoted in Tower's 
Illustrations of Prophecy.) But that 
they did signify an army will be ren- 
dered absolutely certain as we pro- 
ceed. They had more than a locust's 
power ; they had the power of scor- 
pions. 

4. Should not hurt the grass. — If 
they had been locusts in reality, what 
would have been more natural than 
that they should have devoured the 
grass, and any green thing? But 
they were symbolical ; they repre- 
sented an army of men, who were 
to make havoc of their fellow-men 
Those servants of God. however, w r ho 
were sealed in their foreheads. Rev. 
vii. 3. they could not harm ; they had 
power only to hurt those who had not 
the seal. 



have not the seal of God in their 
foreheads. 

5 And to them it was given 
that they should not kill them, 
but that they should be torment- 
ed five months : and their tor- 
ment was as the torment of a 
scorpion, when he striketh a 
man. 

6 And in those days shall 
men seek death, and shall not 



5. Should not kill them. — This lan- 
guage is not to be understood too 

I strictly, for undoubtedly some were 
. slain by the Roman armies at their 
I first approach. Nevertheless, this 
was not the time when the great 
! slaughter took place. Tormented 
\ five months. — They were, however, 
j greatly tormented, and were driven 
j to the greatest straits for the want of 
the necessaries of life, and for the 
i dangers caused by their animosities 
among themselves, and the threaten- 
ing of the Roman armies. If Tor- 
ment of a scorpion. — Thus was their 
| torment, "as the torment of a scorpion 
| when he striketh a man." Josephus 
| states that very few of the Jews were 
j slain during the invasion of their 
cities by Cestius Gallus, although 
| they suffered much. — [De Bell, hid., 
Book II.. chap. xs.. sec. 9.] Cestius 
! lay before Jerusalem one whole sum- 
| mer, says Adam Clarke, or about five 
I months; and this may be the time 
j referred toby the words, " they should 
be tormented five months :" verses 
5, 10. 

6. Shall men seek death. — This was 
owing to the greatness of their suffer- 

, in gs, arising from their commotions 
i within and enemies without. Christ 
! and his apostles forewarned men of 
j the " great tribulation ;" and we have 
j no doubt that many longed for death 
as a relief from their terrible suffer- 
! ings. It is not uncommon for people 
to suffer so severely as to long for 
death. Job spoke of those in his day, 
I who "longed for death, but it came 



172 



REVELATION. 



find it ; and shall desire to die, 
and death shall flee from them. 

7 And the shapes of the lo- 
custs were like unto horses pre- 
pared unto battle ; and on their 
heads were as it were crowns 
like gold, and their faces were 
as the faces of men. 

8 And they had hair as the 



not, and dug for it more than for hid- 
den treasures;" iii. 21. And Jere- 
miah, foretelling the sufferings of the 
Jews, said, "Death shall be chosen 
rather than life viii. 3. 

7. Horses prepared fur battle. — Now 
we have what we call certain proof, 
that by the locusts is signified armies. 
They were " like horses prepared unto 
battle." % Crowns like gold. — Their 
brazen caps " were as it were crowns 
like gold, and their faces were as the 
faces of men." 

8. As the hair of women. — Their 
hair, or some ornament of their caps, 
was as the hair of women ; and their 
teeth were like lions' teeth. 

9. Breast-plates of iron. — They had 
breast-plates also, which is surely 
descriptive of soldiers, Sound of 
their wings. — The sound of their 
wings was like the sound of chariots 
and many horses running to battle. 
How exactly this agrees with the 
description given of the invasion of 
Jerusalem by the prophet Joel. It 
seems impossible to avoid the impres- 
sion, that the revelator drew his 
figures from that prophet. "A fire 
devoureth before them; and behind 
them a flame burneth : the land is as 
the garden of Eden before them, and 
behind them a desolate wilderness ; 
yea, and nothing shall escape them. 
The appearance of them is as the 
appearance of horses ; and as horse- 
men, so shall they run. Like the 
noise of chariots on the tops of moun- 
tains shall they leap, like the noise 
of a flame of fire that devoureth the 
stubble, as a strong people set in 
battle-array ;" Joel ii. 3 — 5. There 



hair of women, and their teeth 
were as the teeth of lions. 

9 And they had breast-plates, 
as it were breast-plates of iron ; 
and the sound of their wings 
was as the sound of chariots of 
many horses running to battle. 

10 And they had tails like 
unto scorpions, and there were 

can be no doubt that the prophet and 
revelator spake of the same event. 
What other interpretation can be 
given of the chapter now before us, 
that presents such claims to belief? 
Every one must see the very striking 
resemblance between the description 
of Joel and that of the revelator ; in 
fact, they are almost the self-same 
thing. Why then ought we not to be 
guided by the prophet in applying the 
dark passages of the Apocalypse ? 
The description is evidently that of an 
army well supplied with cavalry ; and 
for that species of force the Romans 
were eminent. 

10. They had tails like unto scor- 
pions. — The meaning is, they had a 
scorpion's power to inflict pain. It 
agrees precisely with what is said 
verse 3, "Unto them was given power, 
as the scorpions of the earth have 
power." The scorpion is the largest 
and most malignant of all the insect 
tribe. Its bite is terrible, not so much 
for the death it sometimes occasions, 
as for the pain it causes, which is 
worse than death. The torment of 
the bite of the scorpion of the east is 
thus described, according to Mr. Tay- 
lor, by Dioscorides : " When the scor- 
pion has stung, the place becomes 
inflamed and hardened; it reddens 
by tension, and is painful by inter- 
vals, being now chilly, now burning. 
The pain soon rises high, and rages 
sometimes more, and sometimes less. 
A sweating succeeds, attended by a 
shivering and trembling ; the extrem- 
ities of the body become cold ; the 
groin swells ; the hair stands on end ; 
the members become pale ; and the 



CHAPTER IX. 



173 



stings in their tails ; and their 
power was to hurt men five 
months. 

11 And they had a king over 
them, which is the angel of the 
bottomless pit, whose name in 
the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, 
but in the Greek tongue hath his 

skin feels throughout it the sensa- 
tion of a perpetual prickling, as if 
by needles." Such is " the torment 
of a scorpion when he striketh a 
man ver. 5. When men are in this 
awful condition, they long for death, 
and death seems to flee away from 
them only to protract their torments. 
In order to give the fact, that the 
Roman armies would cause the most 
intense anguish on the unbelieving 
Jews, it is said that the locusts, which 
represented those armies, had tails 
like scorpions, armed with stings. 
IT Hurt men five months. — The locust 
season lasted about five months ; the 
animal comes, ravages, and passes 
away in about that time. It is also 
said, that Cestius Gall us lay before 
Jerusalem about that time. See on 
ver. 5. 

11. They had a king. — This was 
necessary to be said, because locusts 
in general have no king. See Prov. 
xxx. 27 : " The locusts have no king, 
yet go they forth all of them by 
bands."' The revelator was obliged, 
therefore, to add, that the forces of 
which he spoke, under the metaphor 
of locusts, had a king, or command- 
er. The movements of armies were 
described by the prophets by the 
progress of locusts. "As the run- 
ning to and fro of locusts, shall he 
run upon them ;" Isa. xxxiii. 4. 
Locusts represent especially large 
armies. "Make thyself many as the 
locusts." * * * " Thy crowned 
are as the locusts, and thy captains 
as the great grasshoppers ;" Nahum 
iii. 15, 17. % The angel of the bot- 
tomless pit. — As the host was said to 
ascend out of the pit or abyss, so 
15* 



name Apollyon. 

12 One woe is past ; and be- 
hold, there come two woes more 
hereafter. 

13 And the sixth angel sound- 
ed, and I heard a voice from the 
four horns of the golden altar 
which is before God, 



their commander was said to be the 
angel of that abyss, the principal per- 
sonage. And as he caused great loss 
and devastation, his name is destruc- 
tion, for such is the meaning of the 
Hebrew word Abaddon, and the Greek 
Apollyon signifies a Destroyer. Pick- 
ering defines Abaddon, destruction, 
devastation, destroyer; Apollyon,~the 
destroyer, devastation. Donnegan 
defines the verb Apollumi, to destroy 
utterly, and he says Homer uses it 
mostly of persons slain in battle. Lid- 
dell and Scott say that Apollumi sig- 
nifies to destroy utterly, kill, slay, 
murder ; and they refer to Homer, 
who used it to signify death in battle ; 
and when applied to things, he used 
it to mean to demolish, to lay waste. 
How appropriate, then, according to 
these high authorities, to term the 
commander of a destroying army, 
Abaddon, or Apollyon. 

12. One woe is past. — One of the 
three woes mentioned viii. 13, has 
now been described. Two more re- 
main. Let us turn our attention to 
the next woe. The three woes were 
to come at the sounding of the fifth, 
sixth, and seventh angels. The first 
woe we have noticed under the sound- 
ing of the fifth angel, ix. 1, and now 
we come to the sounding of the sixth 
angel. 

13. Heard a voice. — The object of 
the revelator here is to introduce the 
loosing of the four angels at the 
Euphrates ; and it is perfectly con- 
sistent with the style of the Apoc- 
alypse to describe such an event as 
being done by divine command. 
Hence, the voice from the four horns of 
the golden altar, or the voice of God. 



174 



REVELATION. 



14 Saying to the sixth angel 
which had the trumpet, Loose 
the four angels which are bound 
in the great river Euphrates. 

15 And the four "angels were 

14. Loose the four angels, &cc. — 
The command is to loose the four 
angels which are bound in the great 
river Euphrates. The great river. 
The Euphrates is a great river, and 
was more especially so in the estima- 
tion of the ancients. Its banks were 
the seat of many noble cities ; and 
towering above all in importance was 
Babylon, " the glory of kingdoms, the 
beauty of the Chaldees' excellency." 
The Euphrates, or the region thereof, 
was the eastern boundary of the 
Roman empire, and that' river flowed 
through a vast extent of populous 
country. Being far removed from 
the capital of the empire, and the 
nations bordering upon it being hard 
to govern, it was expedient to keep 
armies there, under experienced gen- 
erals. The first efforts of the Eomans 
to obtain possession of Jerusalem hav- 
ing failed, it became necessary for 
them to draw their forces together. 
Dr. Hammond says, " It is said by 
Josephus, (lib. 5, ch. 6,) that the 
Syrian legions of the Roman army 
lay as far as Euphrates ; and Philo in 
his Embassy mentions the armies 
reaching to Euphrates." "What, then, 
does the loosing of the four angels 
bound in the great river signify, but 
a call upon the Roman commanders 
in that region, who had been detained 
there by previous orders, to repair to 
Jerusalem with their forces? Ves- 
pasian may perhaps be regarded as 
one of those angels, for he was a 
leader of the Syrian army, and re- 
paired to Jerusalem after the former 
leader, Cestius Gallus, had failed to 
subdue the rebellious Jews. It was 
by this army that he was nominated 
as emperor, at which he repaired to 
Rome, and was succeeded by Titus, 
his elder son, who prosecuted the war 
in Judea. This, then, is what, is 



loosed, which were prepared for 
an hour, and a day, and a month, 
and a year, for to slay the third 
part of men. 

16 And the number of the 



meant by the loosing of the angels in 
the Euphrates, viz., the calling the 
Roman commanders, who were en- 
camped in different provinces in the 
vicinity of that river, to bring their 
forces to the city. % In the interim be- 
tween the withdrawal of Cestius and 
the approach of Vespasian, the Chris- 
tians had an opportunity to escape 
from the ill-fated city ; and in this 
way the 144,000 who had been sealed 
in their foreheads fled away, and 
were saved ■ Rev. vii. 3, 4. This all 
transpired before the temple was de- 
stroyed, because the voice that com- 
manded to loose the four angels came 
from the golden altar, which could 
not with propriety have been said 
after the temple and the altar were 
demolished. 

15. An hour, and a day, and amonth, 
and a year. — That is, they were pre- 
pared and ready at all times for any 
length of service ; they were instant 
in season and out of season ; they 
were ready at any warning for the 
work of destruction. They were to 
take part in the destruction of the 
Jews, and do their share in slaying 
that misguided people. 

16. Tno hundred thousand thousand. 
— This is a certain number for an 
uncertain. It was a custom of the 
ancients, and is still retained by the 
moderns, to express an uncertain 
number by a certain one. The de- 
mons were called legion, not because 
the exact number of them was 
known, but because they were many. 
We might say of a vast host, " there 
was a million of them," without in- 
tending that exact number. So when 
it is said, the number of the horsemen 
were "two hundred thousand thou- 
sand," or two hundred millions, the 
only idea intended to be eonveyed 
was that there were a large number. 



CHAPTER IX. 



175 



array of the horsemen were two 
hundred thousand thousand : and 
I heard the number of them. 

17 And thus I saw the horses 
in the vision, and them that sat 
on them, having breast-plates of 
fire, and of jacinth, and brim- 
stone : and the heads of the 
horses were as the heads of lions ; 



The expression is surely hyperbolical. 
The Roman armies assembled around 
Jerusalem were very numerous. 

17. And thus I saw. — That is, I 
am now about to describe more par- 
ticularly the appearance of the horses 
and the horsemen, which I have men- 
tioned as passing before me in my 
vision. T[ Breast-plates of fire, and of 
jacinth, and of brimstone. — It is but a 
matter of small importance to settle, 
whether these breast-plates were worn 
by the horses or the riders. They 
were of fire, jacinth and brimstone ; 
i. e., they were in appearance like 
these articles. A breast-plate very 
highly polished, and reflecting bril- 
liantly the rays of the sun, or of the 
camp fires, would seem like a breast- 
plate of fire. The jacinth was a pre- 
cious stone ; it is mentioned, Kev. xxi. 
20, as one of the garnitures of the foun- 
dation of the New Jerusalem. Some 
of the breast-plates looked like a bril- 
liant of this description ; and others 
had the appearance of brimstone, i. e., 
(we think,) burning brimstone. % As 
the heads of lions. — They were fierce, 
fearless ; their manes were like lions' 
manes ; they had the appearance of 
great majesty and strength. The 
best horses are trained to war ; and 
the nations around the Euphrates, 
from whom this cavalry came, 
abounded in the best of horses. 
^ Fire, and smoke, and brimstone. — 
This is purely the work of the reve- 
lator's imagination. Out of the 
mouth, or nostrils, — for the breath 
may proceed from either ; and in a 
hard chase, or in great excitement, 
the horse breathes through his mouth. 



and out of their mouths issued 
fire, and smoke, and brimstone. 

18 By these three was the 
third part of men killed, by the 
fire, and by the smoke, and by 
the brimstone, which issued out 
of their mouths. 

19 For their power is in their 
mouth, and in their tails : for 



When highly excited, he drives his 
breath with great force through his 
nostrils, and we say he snorts. By 
this noise, he is sometimes described 
as being heard at a distance. " The 
snorting of his horses was heard from 
Dan : the whole land trembled at the 
sound of the neighing of his strong 
ones : for they are come, and have 
devoured the land, and all that is in 
it ; the city, and those that dwell 
therein;" Jer. viii. 16. The horses 
which John saw breathed fire and 
smoke from burning brimstone. It 
is customary in our day, in a painting 
of the excited horse, to show him with 
head uplifted, ears put forward, eyes 
all kindled with animation, and phos- 
phorescence at his nostrils. So saith 
Job : " The glory of his nostrils is 
terrible xxxix. 20. To give the 
horses of the eastern cavalry the ap- 
pearance of great animation, fierce- 
ness and power of destruction, the 
revelator describes them as breathing 
out flames, like the flames that pro- 
ceed from burning brimstone. 

18. By these three. — That is, "by 
the fire, by the smoke, and by the 
brimstone." The power described 
by them is meant. By this power 
did the cavalry its part in the work 
of destruction. 

19. In their mouth and in their tails. 
— Here lay their power, to which we 
have referred under the preceding 
verse. The revelator' s object is still 
the same, viz., to represent the cavalry 
to be as fearful as possible. In his 
picture, the horses breathed fire and 
smoke and brimstone. So much for 
the mouths. He still wished to 



176 



REVELATION. 



their tails were like unto ser- 
pents, and had heads, and with 
them they do hurt. 

20 And the rest of the men 
which were not killed by these 
plagues yet repented not of the 

heighten the description, and hence 
said, "For their power is in their 
mouth and in their tails ;" i. e,, in 
the latter as well as the former. He 
says no more about their mouths, but 
proceeds, " their tails were like unto 
serpents, and had heads, and with 
them they do hurt." Such is the 
picture. They had not such tails as 
horses generally have, — the long, 
graceful, flowing hair, — but instead 
of these, serpents were appended — 
" their tails were like unto serpents ;" 
that is, they resembled serpents, and 
like serpents, 11 they had. heads." 
T[ With them they do hurt. — The de- 
scription is very singular; but the 
only intention is to make the horses 
appear as fearful as possible ; to 
give them the power of doing fearful 
execution. It must be confessed that 
horses and horsemen thus armed 
would be invincible. Breathing fire, 
and smoke, and brimstone, they could 
not be resisted in front ; and having 
tails like serpents, with heads, (the 
part of a serpent's body in which his 
fearful power lies.) they were safe 
from assaults in the rear. Such is 
the picture; and when we consider 
how much in the habit of hieroglyph- 
ical writing were the ancients, and 
what strange pictures they sometimes 
presented to give the idea of fearful 
power, we shall be less surprised at 
the revelator's images. 

20. Were not killed by these plagues. 
— The plagues mentioned in the 
Apocalypse will be treated of more 
fully under xxii. 19. The plagues in 
this case were certainly not in the 
immortal state, but were such as 
were inflicted by the armies that 
came up against Jerusalem. Re- 
pented not. — See under verse 21. 
IT Worship devils. — The word here 



works of their hands, that they 
should not worship devils, and 
idols of gold, and silver, and 
brass, and stone, and of wood: 
which neither can see, nor hear 
nor walk : 

is not diabolovs, but daimonia. u It is 
manifest here (says Dr. Campbell) 
that the w T ord rendered devils ought 
to have been demons ; nor is it less 
manifest, that every being who is not 
the one true God, however much con- 
ceived to be superior to us, whether 
good or bad, hero or heroine, demi- 
god or demi-goddess, angel or de- 
parted spirit, saint or sinner, real or 
imaginary, is in the class comprised 
under the name demons. And the 
worship of them is as much demon- 
olatry, (if you will admit the word,) as 
the worship of Jupiter, Mars, and 
Minerva. This may serve to show 
of how much consequence it is to 
attend with accuracy to the differ- 
ences to be found in the application 
of words. It is only thereby that we 
can learn their exact import, and be 
qualified to judge both of the subject 
and of the completion of scriptural 
prophecies. As to the worship of 
the devil, tou diabolou, nothing can 
be clearer than that in Scripture no 
pagans are charged with it ; and as 
to the worship tou dawionian, beings 
subordinate to the Supreme, it may 
be considered how far we can with 
justice say that the pagans are pecu- 
liarly chargeable. It will deserve to 
be remarked, by the way, that the 
only difference between demonolatry 
and idolatry appears to be, that the 
first regards the object of worship, 
the second the mode. The former is 
a violation of the first commandment ; 
the latter of the second. The con- 
nection, however, is so intimate be- 
tween them, that they have rarely, if 
ever, been found separate." — (Pre- 
lim. Diss, vi., p. i., sec. 19.) The 
Jews seem to have been guilty of 
both demonolatry and idolatry ; for 
they not only worshipped demons, but 



CHAPTER IX. 



177 



21 Neither repented they of 
their murders, nor of their sor- 

idols, also, of gold and silver, and 
brass, and stone, and wood. 

21. Neither repented they. — This is 
true to the facts as they existed. 
Notwithstanding the Roman armies 
encompassed the city, notwithstand- 
ing the fall of the city and temple 
was very imminent, notwithstanding 
there had been destruction on every 
hand, and full a third part of the 
people had been slain, yet those who 
remained, viz., " the rest of the men 
which were not killed by these 
plagues," repented not of their wick- 
edness. It is a well known fact 
that the Jews grew more wicked as 
their troubles increased ; they seemed 
to grow more and more forgetful of 
God. as they fell more and more into 
need of his protection. The Romans 
had a very severe and dangerous 
service to perform, even after their 
forces around the city had been in- 
creased by calling the squadrons 
from the Euphrates. It seemed for a 
long time doubtful whether Vespa- 
sian, and after him Titus, would ob- 
tain full possession of the city and 
temple, and put down all opposition. 
What would have been the conse- 
quence had the Jews repented of 
their idolatries, and all their evil 
deeds, — [for idolatry is put in the 
Scriptures as a metaphor for all kinds 
of sin,] — before their final fall, we will 
not undertake to say, but it seems 
almost impossible that the Romans 
should ever have prevailed, had the 
Jews maintained a virtuous union 
among themselves. The city was 
very strong in a military point of 
view. It stood on a high elevation, 
and had great works and ramparts 
to seeure it. Josephus says, " The 
temple was like a citadel, having 
walls of its own, which had more 
labor and pains bestowed on them 
than the rest- The cloisters where- 
with the temple was enclosed were 
an excellent fortification." See his 
third Dissertation. And the same 



ceries, nor of their fornication, 
nor of their thefts. 



writer states, in another place, that 
when Titus had obtained possession 
of the upper city, " he admired not 
only some other places of strength in 
it, but particularly those strong towers 
which the tyrants, in their mad con- 
duct, had relinquished : for when he 
saw their solid, altitude, and the 
largeness of their several stones, and 
the exactness of their joints, as also 
how great was their breadth, and how 
extensive their length, he expressed 
himself after the manner following : 
' We have certainly had God for our 
assistant in this war, and it was no 
other than God who ejected the Jews 
out of these fortifications; for what 
could the hands of men, or any ma- 
chines, do towards overthrowing these 
towers ? ' " — (De Bell. Jud., Book vi., 
ch. ix., sec. 1.) Thus we have the 
testimony of the Roman commander, 
that the final overthrow of this peo- 
ple must be attributed to the inter- 
position of God. This fact is treated 
of in the 10th and 11th chapters of 
Revelation. We have seen Jbat it 
was God who gave them up to de- 
struction ; and the reason is described 
in the verses before us, viz., " The rest 
of the men which were not killed by 
these plagues [i. e., such plagues as 
had already occurred] repented not 
of the works of their hands." They 
resorted to deeds that might have 
been expected only from those given 
up to idolatry. They plundered the 
temple, melted down the sacred uten- 
sils, emptied the vessels of the sacred 
wine and oil, and distributed them 
among their followers ; and these 
worse than idolatrous iniquities led 
Josephus to say, " that had the 
Romans made any longer delay in 
coming against these villains, that 
the city would either have been swal- 
lowed up by the ground opening upon 
them, or been overflowed by water, 
or else been destroyed by such thun- 
der as the country of Sodom perished 
by ; for it had brought forth a gene- 



178 



REVELATION. 



CHAPTER X. 

AND I saw another mighty- 
angel come down from 
heaven, clothed with a cloud : 



ration of men more atheistical than 
were those that suffered such punish- 
ments, for by their madness it was 
that all the people came to be de- 
stroyed." — (De Bell. Jud., Book v., 
eh. xiii., sec. 6.) When, therefore, 
all which they had suffered, especial- 
ly under Cestius Gallus, Vespasian 
and Titus, failed to bring them to re- 
pentance, (the Roman armies still 
encompassing their city,) it seems 
God gave them over to absolute and 
immediate destruction, — city, tem- 
ple and nation. An angel came 
down from heaven ; and with one 
foot on the land, and another on the 
sea, he cried with a loud voice, and 
swore by him that liveth forever and 
ever, that there should be time no 
longer, i. e., that no more time should 
elapse before the final overthrow. 
But of this we shall treat in our notes 
on the next chapter. 

CHAPTER X. 

At the conclusion of the last chap- 
ter, we read that the people repented 
not "of their murders, nor of their 
sorceries, nor of their fornication, 
nor of their thefts ch. ix. 21 ; and 
because they repented not, God's for- 
bearance endured no longer. He re- 
solved then to execute judgment with- 
out any further delay. And this, let 
it be remembered, is the principal fact 
brought out in chap. x. The plan of 
the revelator in respect to the fall of 
Jerusalem is fast hastening to its de- 
velopment. 

1. Another mighty angel. — This 
has reference to some former angel, 
perhaps to the one of whom we read 
in ch. ix. 1, under the figure of the 
star, who came down from heaven to 
unlock the bottomless pit ; or it may 
refer to the one mentioned ch. v. 2. 

Come down from heaven. — This 
" mighty angel," this angel of great j 



and a rainbow was upon his 
head, and his face was as it were 
the sun, and his feet as pillars 
of fire : 



power, came down from heaven, 
i. e., he was divinely commissioned. 
*fi Clothed with a cloud. — He was 
clothed or enveloped in a cloud. To 
come in the clouds of heaven was, 
among the Jews, the known symbol 
of divine power and majesty. The 
divine presence upon the mount, at 
the giving of the law, was veiled in a 
cloud. Our Saviour said that at his 
second advent he should come " in 
the clouds of heaven, with power and 
great glory Matt. xxiv. 30. Hence 
the angel is said to be ^.mighty angel. 
T[ A rainbow upon his head. — The 
" great glory" of his coming is de- 
scribed by the "rainbow upon his 
head." A splendid figure ! and 
what a unity of metaphors — the 
cloud and the rainbow ! ^[ As it were 
the sun. — His face was as the sun. 
This was the exact description given 
of the Son of man, ch. i. 16 : " His 
countenance was as the sun shineth 
in his strength." See also the ac- 
count of the transfiguration ; Matt, 
xvii. 2. ^[ His feet as pillars of pre. 
— This, also, is the language applied 
to Jesus, ch. i. 15 : " His feet like unto 
fine brass as if they burned in a fur- 
nace." The angel then seems to be 
the Son of man, who descends from 
heaven to judge the nations, and to. 
bring the firstf covenant to a close, 
agreeably to his repeated declarations. 
Jesus is peculiarly the angel of the 
Lord, above all other angels, the 
< ( messenger of the [new] covenant," 
Mai. iii. 1, which at the second ad- 
vent he was to establish by putting 
aside the old. The appearance of 
this angel was pronounced by Sir 
William Jones to equal in sublimity 
any description to be found in the in- 
spired writers, and to be far superior 
to anything of the kind produced by 
human composition. 

2. A little book open. — This little 



CHAPTER X. 



179 



2 And he had in his hand a 
little book open : and he set his 
right foot upon the sea, and his 
left foot on the earth, 

book seems to represent what re- 
mained of the seventh seal. It is not 
the book {Biblion) of which we found 
an account in v. 1, said to have been 
sealed with seven seals ; but a little 
book (Biblaridion) the diminutive of 
Biblion. The word occurs nowhere 
else in the Bible, except in this chap- 
ter; bat it occurs in classic authors. 
The sealed book consisted of seven 
parts, each part sealed by itself. Six 
seals had been opened, and the con- 
tents declared. The opening of the 
seventh, or final seal, is described viii. 
1 ; and the seventh, or final seal, dif- 
fers from either of the others, in that 
it was subdivided into seven parts, 
denoted by the seven trumpets, viii. 
2, 6. Six of the angels had sounded ; 
see ix. 13. The seventh remained to 
sound. What remained, therefore, 
to be revealed, although very impor- 
tant in itself, and the denouement of 
the whole tragedy, was but the sev- 
enth fraction of the seventh seal. 
How appropriately, then, was it called 
a little book, when spoken of in com- 
parison with the book with seven 
seals. And mark, it was not brought 
forward as a little book sealed, 
but open ; for the seven seals hav- 
ing been broken, there remained no 
more to be broken. % Eight foot 
upon the sea. — The mighty angel had 
his right foot upon the sea, and his 
left upon the earth, or land. This 
was to denote his control over both, 
— over the whole earth, — universal 
control. Why is the earth called 
God's footstool ? Is it not because he 
has dominion over it ? It is beneath 
him ; he is its sovereign. To make 
one's enemies his footstool, is to put 
them completely in subjection to him. 
So when it is said, the angel set his 
right foot on the sea, and his left 
on the earth, is meant that he had 
dominion over them. We know of 
no angel who ever had this wide do- 



3 And cried with a loud voice, 
as when a lion roareth : and 
when he had cried, seven thun- 
ders uttered their voices. 

minion, except the Lord Jesus. He 
was the angel of the covenant, and to 
him had been given " all power in 
heaven and on earth j" Matt, xxviii. 
18. His enemies were to be made 
his footstool ; and this is signified by 
his placing one foot upon the sea, 
and another upon the land. The 
time of his great power had come. 

3. Cried with a loud voice. — He 
demanded attention. There is a 
striking resemblance here to the de- 
scent of God upon Sinai, when he 
gave the law : " There were thun- 
ders and lightnings, and a thick cloud 
upon the mount, and the voice of the 
trumpet exceedingly loud;" Exod. xix. 
lb. So the mighty angel " cried with 
a loud voice, as when a lion roareth, 
and seven thunders uttered their 
voices. '■' Thus it is seen, that the 
description of the giving of the law is 
like that of its passing away ; only in 
the first case the agent is God ; in the 
second he is the Son, the " messenger 
of the [new] covenant." Seven thun- 
ders, means nothing more than great 
thunder. Seven, as we have repeat- 
edly had occasion to remark, was 
a perfect number with the Jewish 
writers ; it was a round or series that 
was continually occurring. The 
Apocalypse is full of proofs of this. 
Seven of the Asiatic churches were 
addressed ; there were seven golden 
candlesticks ; seven stars which are 
the seven angels of the churches ; the 
Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, 
which are the seven spirits of God ; 
seven angels stood before God, who 
had seven trumpets ; there were seven 
last plagues and seven golden vials 
full of wrath, &c. &c. In other parts 
of the Bible the same use is made of 
the number. Certainly this word is 
not to be understood strictly. This 
voice of the angel is the same that 
was ascribed to the Son of God; i. 
15 : " His voice as the sound of many 



180 



REVELATION. 



4 And when the seven thun- 
ders had uttered their voices, I 
was about to write : and I heard 
a voice from heaven saying unto 
me, Seal up those things which 
the seven thunders uttered, and 
write them not. 

waters." Sir Isaac Newton, speak- 
ing of this angel, says he appears in 
" the shape in which Christ appeared 
in the beginning of this prophecy." — 
(Pt. ii., ch. 2.) Moreover, what other 
being than the Lamb had the power to 
reveal the contents of this book ? 

4. Seven thunders, — as mentioned in 
the preceding verse. The voice was 
one that could be understood ; it was 
not merely thunder ; but an articu- 
late voice, loud like seven-fold thun- 
der. If I was about to write. — He 
had been commanded to do so. 
" What thou seest write in a book 
Rev. i. 11. But more especially ver. 
19: "Write the things which thou 
hast seen, and the things which are, 
and the things which shall be here- 
after." Agreeably to this command, 
he was about to write. ^[ Seal up 
those things. — The words were not to 
be written. Observe, they were not 
first written and then sealed up, but 
were not written at all. We cannot, 
therefore, know what the import was. 
It is possible this has reference to the 
fact that the precise day and hour of 
the fall of Jerusalem was not to be 
made known. Our Lord assures us 
that no one, neither the angels in 
heaven, knew the precise time when 
the holy city would fall. God alone 
knew when that event would transpire. 
This was one of the circumstances 
which Jesus could not utter in his 
account of the fall of Jerusalem, 
while he was on earth j and it is pos- 
sible this was the fact that John was 
forbidden to write. This is a mere 
conjecture, however, and we offer it 
as such. There is another conjec- 
ture. On the appearance of the 
mighty angel, the voices like seven 
thunders, broke forth, it may be in a 



5 And the angel which I saw 
stand upon the sea and upon 
the earth, lifted up his hand to 
heaven, 

6 And sware by him that liv- 
eth forever and ever, who cre- 
ated heaven, and the things that 

strain of praise to the angel, as the 
hosts of heaven had praised the 
Lamb, on his appearance, v. 8, 9. 
But as the praise was no part of the 
prophecy in this case, and as the rev- 
elator was concerned to write only 
what the angel communicated, so it 
was said to him, write not those 
things which the seven thunders ut- 
tered. At any rate, whatever those 
things were, it cannot be important 
for us to know ; for if it had been ne- 
cessary for the revelator to commu- 
nicate them, he would not have been 
forbidden to write them. 

5. Upon the sea and upon the earth. 
— For the explanation of this phrase- 
ology, see ver. 2. *ft Lifted up his 
hand to heaven. — In the metaphorical 
language of the Scriptures, God is 
said to make solemn oath, and even 
to lift up his hand in doing ; Exod. 
vi. 8 ■ Deut. xxxii. 40 ; Heb. vi. 13. 
It is a figure to show that the an- 
nunciation was made in the most 
solemn and impressive manner. The 
revelator evidently borrowed his de- 
scription from Daniel : " And I heard 
the man clothed in linen, which was 
upon the waters of the river, when he 
held up his right hand and his left 
hand unto heaven, and sware by him 
that liveth for ever, that it shall be 
for a time, times, and a half; and 
when he shall have accomplished 
to scatter the power of the holy peo- 
ple, all these things shall be finished j" 
xii. 7. 

6. Sware by him that liveth, &c. — 
This was the ancient form of descrip- 
tion of the Supreme Being. See 
Neh. ix. 6. Also Rev. iv. 11, and 
xiv. 7. And what was sworn to ? 
What great fact was declared in this 
solemn manner ? If That there should 



CHAPTER X. 



181 



therein are, and the earth, and' 
the things that therein are, and 
the sea, and the things which are 

be time no longtr. — That is, that there 
should be time no longer before the 
judgment transpired which had been 
described ; or, in other words, that 
there should be no more delay ; for 
■chronos signifies sometimes (May. 
Donnegan says, Chronos signifies 
"time, duration, frequently a long- 
time, — also delay." " Chronon em- 
poiein, to cause delay." Hence the 
words may signify there shall he de- 
lay no longer. The sentence is, 
Oti chronos ouk estai eti, literally, 
"that time not shall be further," or 
there shall be no further time. The 
end had come ; the end of the age, the 
last days, the passing away of the old 
heaven and earth. These things had 
come ; there should be no further 
delay. Adam Clarke is correct on 
this passage. After quoting the 
words, " That there should be time 
no longer," he adds, — " That the 
great counsels relative to the events 
already predicted should be imme- 
diately fulfilled ; and that there should 
be no longer delay. This has no ref- 
erence (he adds) to the day of judg- 
ment." Again he adds, "The word 
chronos, in the above place, seems to 
signify delay simply ; and probably 
refers to the long-suffering of God 
being ended in reference to Jerusa- 
lem ; for I all along take for proba- 
ble, that this book was written pre- 
viously to the destruction of that city." 

— (Note at the end of the 10 th chapter.) 
Lightfoot says, " He sware by him 
that liveth forever, that there should 
be delay of time no longer." And 
he adds, " At last Christ swears that 
there shall be no more delay ; the 
word chronos must be taken so here." 

— (Harmony of New Testament.) 
Wakefield translates the words, "that 
there should be no longer delay." 
There is a valuable note in Ham- 
mond, which we will not take up 
room to quote here, the facts we have 
given being deemed amply sufficient. 

16 



therein, that there should be time 
no longer: 

7 But in the days of the voice 

The truth, then, to which the mighty 
angel [the Lord Jesus] swore was, 
that the time had come for the first 
covenant to pass away, and for the 
city of Jerusalem and the nation of 
the Jews to fall. "Jerusalem was 
compassed with armies," Luke xxL 
20, as was shown in the notes on the 
9th chapter; every preparation was 
made ; the people would not repent ; 
and the Son of God, in whom dwelt 
" all the fulness of the Godhead bod- 
ily," made solemn declaration, that 
there should be no more delay," or 
" that no more time should elapse " 
before the holy city should " be trod- 
den under foot of the Gentiles." The 
sense which we have given to this 
verse will be rendered more apparent 
by what is said on the following 
verse. 

7. In the days of the voice of the 
seventh angel. — This is offered in ex- 
planation of the great fact stated in 
the preceding verse, that time should 
be no more, or that no more time 
should elapse previously to the con- 
summation to which the revelator 
was hastening in his description. In 
proof that no more time should elapse, 
the revelator adds, that in the days 
of the voice of the seventh angel 
(whose sounding is described in the 
following chapter) the mystery of 
God should be finished. The end was 
near. The revelator had already 
shown " Jerusalem compassed with 
armies ;" ch. ix. That point and the 
finishing of the mystery of God were 
almost simultaneous ; hence, as the 
mystery of God was about to be fin- 
ished, there could be " time no long- 
er." % The mystery of God should be 
finished. — What was this " mystery 
of God?" See the verse already re- 
ferred to, viz., xi. 15 : " And the sev- 
enth angel sounded ; and there were 
great voices in heaven, [i. e., most 
important truths were announced, to 
wit,] saying, The kingdoms of this 



182 



REVELATION. 



of the seventh angel, when he 
shall begin to sound, the mys- 
tery of God should be finished, 
as he hath declared to his ser- 
vants the prophets. 

8 And the voice which I heard 

world are become the kingdoms of our 
Lord, and of his Christ ; and he shall 
reign forever and ever." This, then, 
was the mystery of God, viz., the final 
prevalence of the gospel and the es- 
tablishment of the kingdom of Christ 
over all the kingdoms of the earth. 
This was the reign of God, and the 
opening of his spiritual temple, 
after the outward temple upon Mount 
Zion had been levelled with the dust ; 
xi. 19. Now that this very consum- 
mation is throughout the Bible styled 
the mystery of God, will be apparent 
to every one who will make the ex- 
amination. It is styled a mystery 
not because it is unintelligible and 
incomprehensible, but because it had 
not before been fully known. See 
the very important remarks of Park- 
hurst, in his Lexicon, under the word 
muserion, or mystery. This mystery 
of God is spoken of by Paul, in Rom. 
xi. 25, 26, " For I would not, brethren, 
that ye should be ignorant of this 
mystekv, (le3t ye should be wise in 
your own conceits,) that blindness in 
part is happened to Israel, until the 
fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 
And so all Israel shall be saved : as 
it is written, There shall come out 
of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn 
away ungodliness from Jacob." — 
Here we have the great fact of the 
kingdoms of the world becoming the 
kingdoms of our Lord and of his 
Christ, asserted by Paul, and declared 
by him to be the mystery of God. 
See also the language of Paul in 
Eph. iii. 3 — 9. "By revelation he 
made known unto me the mystery, 
which in other ages was not made 
known unto the sons of men, as it is 
now revealed unto the holy apostles 
and prophets by the spirit." And 
What does St. Paul assure the Ephe- ' 



from heaven spake unto me 
again, and said, Go, and take 
the little book which is open in 
the hand of the angel which 
standeth upon the sea, and upon 
the earth. 

sians this mystery was? See the 
passage already pointed out, and it 
will appear that the mystery was, 
" That the Gentiles should be fellow- 
heirs, and of the same body, and par- 
takers of his promise in Christ by 
the gospel." Hence Paul " preached 
among the Gentiles the unsearchable 
riches of Christ," and labored "to 
make all men see what is the fellow- 
ship of the mystery which from the 
beginning of the world had been hid 
in God, who created all things by 
Jesus Christ." There is no dispute, 
then, that the mystery of God was 
the conversion of the Jews and Gen- 
tiles : the breaking down of the mid- 
dle wall of partition, which was done 
most effectually when the first cove- 
nant, the peculiar distinction of the 
Jews, passed away, and the kingdom 
of God came with power, Declared 
to his servants the prophets. — This 
mystery of God has been the subject 
matter of all the prophets. St. Paul, 
in referring to the mystery, shows 
that he quoted from one of the proph- 
ets. " As it is written, [i. e., in Isaiah 
lix. 20,] there shall come out of Sion 
the Deliverer," &c. The mystery 
was to be fully disclosed ; and the 
great purpose of God to make Jews 
and Gentiles as one, in respect to 
divine things, was to commence to go 
into effect. The gospel was to be set 
up, in its most enlarged operation ; 
and in this way the kingdoms of this 
world were to become the kingdoms 
of Christ, who was to gain the vic- 
tory over the potentates of the 
earth. 

8. And the voice which I heard, viz., 
the voice mentioned in verse 4. This 
voice spake again to the revelator, 
and directed him to go and take 
the little book out of the hand of the 



CHAPTER X. 



183 



9 And I went unto the angel, 
and said unto him, Give me the 
little book. And he said unto 
me, Take it, and eat it up ; and 
it shall make thy belly bitter, 

angel, who had heaven and earth 
under his feet. 

9. Eat it up. — The figure of eat- 
ing the roll, or book, seems to be 
taken from Ezekiel. See ii. 8 — 10 : 
"But thou, son of man, hear what I 
say unto thee ; Be not thou rebellious 
like that rebellious house: open thy 
mouth, and eat that I give thee. And 
when I looked, behold, a hand was 
sent unto me ; and lo, a roll of a book 
was therein ; and he spread it before 
me : and it was written within and 
without : and these was written there- 
in lamentations, and mourning, and 
woe." Here, we perceive, that eating 
the book signified being made fuliy 
acquainted with the contents thereof. 
"He spread it before me." It is a 
common metaphor of our times, to 
say of the reader who is zealously 
intent on reading a work, that he eats 
or devours it. Jeremiah says, " Thy 
words were found, and I did eat them ; 
and thy word was unto me the joy 
and rejoicing of my heart;" xv. 16. 
% Make thy belly bitter. — The book 
was said to be in the belly bitter, but 
in the mouth sweet as honey. The 
figure is evidently drawn from Ezek. 
iii. 3: "And he said unto me, Son 
of man, cause thy belly to eat, and 
fill thy bowels with this roll that I 
give thee. Then did I eat ; and it 
was in my mouth as honey for sweet- 
ness." This agrees in part with the 
revelator's description of the little 
book. In thy mouth sweet as honey. 
— See under next verse. 

10. In my mouth sweet as honey. — 
What is intended by the figure it is 
not difficult to see. The revelator 
took the book out of the angel's hand, 
and found it to contain in part words 
of great consolation, and in part 
things that gave him great concern 
and sorrow. Such was precisely the 



but it shall be in thy mouth 
sweet as honey. 

10 And I took the little book 
out of the angel's hand, and ate 
it up ; and it was in my mouth 

effect that might have been expected 
from a right understanding of the 
events that were to occur at the time 
of the destruction of the Jewish state. 
If My belly was bitter. — Take the 
facts, and they show the propriety of 
this description. To the Christians, 
the coming of the kingdom of God 
with power, and the consequent de- 
struction of Jerusalem, were very 
desirable events, in one view of the 
case. The Christians, when those 
events transpired, were promised de- 
liverance from their enemies. All 
afflicted and cast down as they had 
been, they had seen days of great 
affliction. Would not the news of 
their deliverance then be sweet ? But 
no sooner had they read this in the 
counsels of God, than they came to 
a frightful counterpart to their own 
joys, — we mean the terrible suffer- 
ings of their enemies. No tongue 
can describe the miseries that the 
Jews brought upon themselves. 
Every benevolent heart must have 
been filled with bitter sorrow that 
contemplated them. The book there- 
fore was sweet in the mouth, — sweet 
at the first contemplation ; but bitter 
as more fully known and considered. 

11. Thou must prophesy again. — 
" Thou must prophesy ag-ain," as if a 
new series of prophecy were about to 
commence. The revelator was evi- 
dently drawing towards the end of his 
first series of annunciations. The 
events which we have noticed show 
that some important crisis, or closing 
up of events, was at hand ; (and what 
that crisis was will be seen in the 
next chapter, where we have an 
account of the fall of the city and the 
temple, and the opening of the new 
spiritual temple of the gospel, the 
judging of the dead, small and great, 
&c, &c.) The eleventh chapter is a 



184 



REVELATION. 



sweet as honey : and as soon as I 
had eaten it my belly was bitter. 
11 And he said unto me, 



very important one, and closes the 
second great section of the Apoca- 
lypse, — the first extending from the 
beginning of the book to the end of 
the third chapter, and containing the 
addresses to the seven churches ; the 
second commencing at the beginning 
of the fourth chapter and extending to 
the end of the eleventh, and containing 
a description of the tumults, trials, 
wars, suffering and destruction of the 
Jews, in the order observed by our 
Lord, in his celebrated prophecy, 
recorded in the 24th chapter of Mat- 
thew. We have a description in the 
tenth chapter of the great events 
which foreshow the end of the Jewish 
state. The mighty angel descends 
"in the clouds of heaven;" he has 
dominion upon the land and upon the 
sea ; he swares that there shall be no 
more delay ; and that in the days of 
the voice of the seventh angel, (who 
was about to sound, melle salpizein,) 
the mystery of God should be finished, 
as spoken by the prophets. To our 
mind this clearly refers to the closing 
up of the Jewish dispensation, and 
the solemn circumstances by which 
that event was distinguished. The 
seventh trumpet was to follow the 
sixth quickly; see xi. 14; and when 
the seventh angel sounded, then the 
gospel should prevail over Judaism ; 
the kingdoms of the world should 
become the kingdoms of Christ ; the 
dead small and great should be 
judged ; the old temple on Zion 
should be levelled with the dust ; and 
thereafter neither on Zion nor Gerizim 
should people worship God, but every- 
where, in his spiritual temple, (xi. 19,) 
should their prayers and praises be 
heard. So the Son of God foretold : 
" The hour cometh [is about to come] 
when ye shall neither in this moun- 
tain, [Gerizim,] nor yet at Jerusalem, 
worship the Father ; but the true 
worshippers shall worship the Father 



Thou must prophesy again be- 
fore many peoples, and nations, 
and tongues, and kings. 



in spirit and in truth;" John iv. 21, 
22 ; i. e., in the kingdom of heaven, 
under the new covenant, the spirit- 
ual Jerusalem, or heavenly temple. 
T[ Before many peoples and nations, &c. 
— At the end of the eleventh chapter, 
the prophecy, so far as it respects the 
destruction of Jerusalem, will close * 
but the revelation to St. John will not 
close. All that was revealed to him 
he had not disclosed. He was to 
begin another series of prophecy, of a 
more general nature. The former 
had been confined principally to the 
Jews ; the latter was to embrace 
many other nations in its compass. 
" Thou must prophesy again, before 
many peoples, and nations, and tongues, 
and kings," referring doubtless to the 
Roman empire, composed of many 
nations and tongues, prefigured, in 
chap, xii., by the beast with seven- 
heads and ten horns. There is no 
difficulty in explaining this figure of 
the beast. "The seven heads are 
seven mountains, on which the woman- 
[Rome] sitteth ;" Rev, xvii. 9 ; "And 
the ten horns which thou sawest are 
ten kings ;" xvii. 12 ; and " the 
waters which thou sawest [for the 
beast rose < up out of the sea,' xiii. 1] 
are people, and multitudes, and na- 
tions, and tongues," xvii. 15, which 
are the same to whom it is said 
the revelator should prophesy, viz., 
"before many peoples, and nations^ 
and tongues, and kings 1. 11. 

If commentators had been willing, 
in explaining the book of Revelation, 
to let one part elucidate another, and 
to bring the prophets to their aid, 
instead of forcing in their own visions 
and schemes, that book would never 
have been regarded as so mysterious 
a book as it has been thought to be. 
It is not unexplainable, if we will 
permit the sacred writers to be their 
own interpreters. 

One thing more, and we close. 



CHAPTER XL 



185 



CHAPTER XL 

AND there was given me a 
reed like unto a rod : and 



The events recorded in the 12th chap- 
ter and onwards, are not necessarily 
posterior, in point of time, to those 
events referred to in the preceding 
chapters. Some may think, not under- 
standing the plan of the book, that 
because they are described in succeed- 
ing chapters, therefore they must suc- 
ceed regularly in the order of time. 
But it may appear, on examination, 
that the revelator goes back, when he 
begins His new prophecy, to the rise 
of Christianity in connection with the 
Roman empire, as he had taken it up 
in previous chapters in connection 
with the Jewish nation. But we 
shall see. 

CHAPTER XL 

We saw, in the preceding chapter, 
that the revelator had come, in his 
description, to the destruction of 
Jerusalem. The mighty angel had 
descended from heaven, and with one 
foot on the land and the other on the 
sea, had sworn that the end had 
come, (i. e., the end of the Jewish 
world or age ;) that there should no 
more time elapse before that event, 
or, in other words, that there should 
be no more delay. All this we think 
was accompanied by a strength of 
evidence, which cannot be resisted. 
With the expectation, then, of finding 
a description of the fall of Judaism, 
and the triumph of Christianity, let 
us enter upon the examination of the 
chapter. 

1. Reed like unto a rod. — This was 
for the purpose of measurement, — a 
reed, or staff, like a measuring rod. 
The description is taken from Eze- 
kiel: "And he brought me thither, 
and behold, there was a man, whose 
appearance was like the appearance 
of brass, with a line of flax in his 
hand, and a measuring reed ; and he 
stood in the gate;" xl. 3. % Rise, 



the angel stood, saying, Rise, 
and measure the temple of God, 
and the altar, and them that 
worship therein. 



and measure the temple of God. — Thus, 
it will be seen, the temple was yet 
standing. And as, in laying the plan 
of a city, the place is measured and 
marked off, so here, as Jerusalem is 
about to be destroyed, it is measured 
and marked off for destruction. The 
laying out of the city forms a very 
prominent subject in the prophecy of 
Ezekiel; see chapters xl., xli., xlii., 
xliii., xliv., &c. In taking a momen- 
tary retrospection of the history of 
that city, this matter came up to the 
revelator's mind. He employs the 
figure, therefore, in marking out the 
city for destruction ; and it will also 
be seen that he uses the same meta- 
phor, in describing the holy city, new 
Jerusalem, which came down from 
God out of heaven; xxi. 15 — 21. A 
command to measure shows that he 
who gives the command has the right 
to repair, or to throw down. Hence, 
when God, in the metaphorical lan- 
guage of the Jews, is said to be about 
to destroy the earth, he in the first 
place measures it. " Before him went 
the pestilence, and burning coals went 
forth at his feet. He stood, and meas- 
ured the earth ; he beheld, and drove 
asunder the nations ; and the ever- 
lasting mountains were scattered, the 
perpetual hills did bow;" Hab. iii. 5, 
6. If And the altar. — So Ezekiel 
measured ; xliii. 13. We see, then, 
that, in the style of the sacred writers, 
to measure a city signifies simply to 
mark it out, for any purpose whatso- 
ever. And we shall have occasion to 
show, on Rev. xxi. 15—21, that even 
the conversion of the people of a city, 
and their return to God, is described 
as the rebuilding of a city, and this 
of course would be denoted by the 
re-measuring of it. 

2. Court which is without the temple. 
— The court of the Gentiles was in 
the large space of about twenty acres 



186 



REVELATION. 



2 But the court which is with- 
out the temple, leave out, and 

in which the temple was placed. The 
whole area was surrounded by a very 
substantial wall, nearly fifty feet in 
height. The site of the temple cov- 
ered nearly the northern half of this 
area ; and the court of the Gentiles 
was the southern part of it, which 
occupied nearly as much room as all 
the rest. It will be seen, then, that 
the court of the Gentiles was " with- 
out the temple," or outside of it. 
T[ Measure it not. — This had always 
been given to the Gentiles, and there- 
fore needed not to be measured ; since 
the revelator measured only that part, 
as being peculiarly now the object of 
his description, which had not been 
profaned by Gentile feet before. When 
Ezekiel measured, he referred to the 
profane place : " He measured it by 
the four sides : it had a wall round 
about, five hundred reeds long, and 
five hundred broad, to make a separa- 
tion between the sanctuary and the 
profane place ;" xlii. 20. % It is 
given unto the Gentiles. — Such had 
been long the ordinance of God. As 
the city was being measured because 
it was to be given up to the Gentiles, 
there was no need of measuring that 
part to which they had been inva- 
riably admitted. But the whole was 
now about to be given up to them ; 
" the holy city shall they tread under 
foot forty and two months ;" and this 
is precisely the description given by 
our Lord himself of the destruction 
of Jerusalem by the Roman armies : 
"And they s [the Jews] shall fall by 
the edge of the sword, and shall be 
led away captive into all nations ; 
and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of 
the Gentiles, until the times of the 
Gentiles be fulfilled;" Luke xxi. 24. 
It seems highly probable that -the 
revelator had his mind on this pas- 
sage, when he wrote the words' on 
which we are remarking ; and it serves 
to show that he is describing the 
destruction of Jerusalem as foretold 
by Jesus. *}[ Forty and two months. — 



measure it not; for it is given 
unto the Gentiles : and the holy 

This expression seems to have origi- 
nated in Dan. vii. 25, where we read 
of "a time, times, and the dividing 
of time," meaning one year, two 
years, and a half of a year, or three 
years and a half. It denoted the 
time of the persecution of the church, 
and triumph of the Roman power. 
Three years and a "half are just forty- 
two months; and forty-two months, 
of thirty days each, (as the Jews reck- 
oned,) are just twelve hundred and 
sixty days ; ch. xi. 3, and xii. 6. 
Daring the forty-two months, the holy 
city was to be trodden under foot ; 
xi. 2 ; and the beast was to continue ; 
xiii. 5. During the twelve hundred 
and sixty days the two witnesses 
were to prophesy in sackcloth ; xi. 3 ; 
and the woman was to remain in the 
wilderness to which she fled ; xii. 6 ; 
and this appears to have been simul- 
taneous with the " time, times, and 
half a time," mentioned chap. xii. 14. 
We give no credit to the hypothesis, 
that these twelve hundred and sixty 
days were so many prophetical years, 
a day being put for a year. We see 
no proof of this whatsoever. Neither 
do we suppose that twelve hundred 
and sixty days is strictly intended. 
We regard this designation, in all its 
forms, as a prophetical metaphor of 
time. The only remark which we 
can make with confidence is, that in 
all its forms, the expression describes 
the seasons of the persecution of the 
church, and the triumph of the Roman 
power. Prof. Stuart says, "Is this 
period to be regarded as literal ; or as 
merely a figurative mode of desig- 
nating a short period, by a reference 
to a well known period of time in the 
book of Daniel, vii. 25 ; xii. 7? The 
same question occurs in regard to the 
next verse, and some other passages 
in the sequel. After all the investi- 
gation which I have been able to 
make, I feel compelled to believe that 
the writer refers to a literal and defi- 
nite period, although not so exact that 



CHAPTER XI. 



187 



city shall they tread under foot 
forty and two months. 

a single day, or even a few days, of 
variation from it would interfere with 
the object he has in view. It is cer- 
tain that the invasion of the Romans 
lasted just about the length of the 
period named, until Jerusalem was 
taken. And although the city itself 
was not besieged so long, yet the 
metropolis, in this case, as in innu- 
merable others in both Testaments, 
appears to stand for the country of 
Judea. During the invasion of Judea 
by the Romans,, the faithful testimony 
of the persecuted witnesses for Chris- 
tianity is continued, while at last 
they are slain. The patience of God, 
in deferring so long the destruction 
of the persecutors, is displayed by 
this ; and especially his mercy in 
continuing to warn and reprove them. 
This is a natural, simple and easy 
method of interpretation, to say the 
least, and one which, although it is 
not difficult to raise objections against 
it, I feel constrained to adopt." — 
(Com. on Rev. xi. 2. See also his 
Hints on Prophecy, 117 et seq.) 

3. My two witnesses. — It has been 
a great difficulty with commentators 
to tell who these two witnesses were. 
Hammond calls them "the main dif- 
ficulty of this chapter." Let us exam- 
ine the matter with care. We shall 
come to a conclusion very different 
from that of Hammond. 1st. They 
were Christian witnesses, or witnesses 
of Christ. 2d. In verse 10 they are 
called " prophets ;" they were perse- 
cuted and killed ; ver. 7 ; and were 
at last received up into heaven ; ver. 

12. 3d. Let it be remembered that, 
the twelve hundred and sixty days 
of their prophecy, as well as the 
" three days and a half" that they lay 
dead, were all finished before the 
destruction of Jerusalem ; for we are 
told that at the same hour in which 
they were received up into heaven, 
" there was a great earthquake, and 
the tenth part of the city fell," ver. 

13, which refers to the partial destruc- 



3 And I will give power unto 
my two witnesses, and they shall 

tion of Jerusalem, and not to its entire 
overthrow, which is mentioned verses 
15 — 19. We have said, that previ- 
ously to giving a final account of the 
overthrow of the city and nation of 
the Jews, John took a momentary 
retrospection of their history, espe- 
cially that of the temple, and their 
opposition to the religion of Jesus ; 
and that opposition is portrayed under 
the treatment of the witnesses. 4th. 
We do not think we are to construe 
strictly the number two, as it respects 
these witnesses ; for this number, like 
that of seven, which occurs so fre- 
quently in the Apocalypse, seems to 
have been taken from the Levitical 
statutes. The testimony of two or 
three unexceptionable witnesses was 
regarded as sufficient ; Deut. xvii. 6. 
Under that law one witness was not 
sufficient; Deut. xix. 15; but two 
were sufficient. Christ adopted this 
into his code for settling church diffi- 
culties ; Matt, xviii. 16. He was not 
condemned until there were found 
two false witnesses ; Matt. xxvi. 60 ; 
see also 2 Cor. xiii. 1 ; 1 Tim. v. 19 ; 
Heb. x. 28. Here, then, is reason 
enough why the Christian witnesses 
should be spoken of as two witnesses. 
In fac-t, our Lord sent out his disci- 
ples by twos : " After these things, 
the Lord appointed other seventy also, 
and sent them two and two before his 
face into every city, and place, whither 
he himself would come;" Luke x. 1. 
But, 5th. There is a still stronger 
reason than the foregoing, why the 
Christian witnesses were spoken of as 
two. The revelator unquestionably 
had in his mind the two Jewish lea- 
ders, Joshua and Zerubbabel, under 
whom the temple had been reared ; 
and he compared to them the Chris- 
tian witnesses, who were engaged in 
rearing the spiritual temple of the 
gospel. See further under verse 4. 
^ Thpy shall prophesy. — Christian in- 
struction was sometimes spoken of as 
prophecy. " Having then gifts, dif- 



188 



REVELATION. 



prophesy a thousand two hun- 
dred and threescore days, clothed 
in sackcloth. 

4 These are the two olive- 
trees, and the two candlesticks 

fering according to the grace that is 
given to us, whether prophecy, let us 
prophesy according to the proportion 
of faith ;" Rom. xii. 6 ; see also 1 
Cor. xii. 10 ; xiii. 2, 9 ; xiv. 1. 24, 31, 
39 ; 1 Tim. iv. 14. If A thousand 
two hundred and threescore days. — 
This is the same expression, in effect, 
as the forty-two months mentioned in 
the preceding verse. Forty-two mul- 
tiplied by thirty, the number of days 
the Jews allowed to a month, make 
twelve hundred and sixty, or a thou- 
sand two hundred and threescore. 
If Clothed in sackcloth. — This was a 
sign of affliction : and these witnesses 
prophesied during the time of the 
church's greatest trial. See under 
the following verse. 

4. These are the two olive-trees. — 
In Zechariah, ch. iv., Joshua and 
Zerubbabel are represented by two 
olive trees, planted by the sides of the 
candlesticks, to supply oil for the 
lamps therein, olive oil being the 
common material used for that pur- 
pose. They were the leaders in the 
rebuilding of the temple, and encour- 
aged the people, and supplied them 
with zeal, as the olive trees supplied 
the lamps with oil ; and under the 
fidelity and perseverance of Zerub- 
babel, the great mountain became a 
plain, [i. e., great difficulties were 
overcome,] and the head stone of the 
temple was brought forth with shout- 
ing, "Grace, grace, unto it." The 
reader must peruse the whole of the 
4th chapter of Zechariah. In that 
chapter we have an account of the 
building of the temple, which w r as 
about to be destroyed when John 
wrote. Hence his reference to the 
passage in Zechariah. The prophet 
described the two leaders as " two 
olive trees," and " two anointed ones, 
that stand by the Lord of the whole 



standing before the God of the 
earth. 

5 And if any man will hurt 
them, fire proceedeth out of their 
mouth, and devoureth their ene- 

earth;" Zech. iv. 11, 14; and this led 
the revelator to speak of the Chris- 
tian witnesses as " the two olive trees 
and the two candlesticks standing 
before the God of the earth," as in 
the verse before us. 

Having thus given abundant rea- 
son why the Christian witnesses were 
spoken of as two, (although no stress 
is to be put on that number, as 
though there were any two particular 
Christians referred to,), we proceed to 
show (what perhaps is scarcely neces- 
sary) that the early Christian preach- 
ers were called " witnesses." "Ye 
are witnesses of these things ;" Luke 
xxiv. 48. "Ye shall be witnesses 
unto me Acts i. 8 ; " This Jesus 
hath God raised up, whereof ye are 
all witnesses:" ii. 32; iii. 15; v. 31. 
32 ; x. 39 — 43. It was a favorite 
figure of the apostle John, to repre- 
sent the Christian teachers as wit- 
nesses bearing testimony. 1 Epis. 
iv. 14 ; Gos. iii. 11 ; v. 39 ; and many 
other places. Nothing can be more 
evident, than that the early Christian 
preachers were spoken of in the char- 
acter of witnesses. God gave power 
to those witnesses, and they prophe- 
sied during their season, clothed in 
sackcloth, as a sign of their great sor- 
row at the woes that were to fall 
upon their enemies, in which spirit 
Christ mourned over Jerusalem ; and 
also a sign of the tribulation through 
which they entered into the kingdom 
of God. 

5. Fire proceedeth out of their mouth. 
— This is a figure like tint which we 
have already found in ix. 17, 18, only 
in that case it was applied to the 
horses. As it respects the witnesses, 
it was a symbolical representation of 
their means of defence, and of the pro- 
tection afforded them by the Father. 
They could not be slain until it was 



CHAPTER XL 



189 



mies : and if any man will hurt 
them, he must in this manner 
be killed. 

6 These have power to shut 
heaven, that it rain not in the 
days of their prophecy : and 
have power over waters to turn 
them to blood, and to smite the 



the will of God ; they were invincible 
until their work w r as done. If any 
man attacked them, he would fall 
before the judgments of God. 

6. Power to shut heaven. — The 
power of Elijah to suspend the rain, 
was a proof that he was the servant 
of the living God ; 1 Kings xvii . 1 . 
This fact, in the sacred history of the 
Jews, was perfectly familiar to them 
all. No man could have that power, 
as they all knew, without being an 
approved servant of the Most High. 
% Turn them to blood. — Here is a 
reference also to Moses, who, as the 
servant of God, had wonderful power, 
by which he turned the water of 
Egypt to blood, and brought plagues 
all over that land. The object of the 
revelator was to show that these 
Christian witnesses were truly God's 
servants, as much as Moses or Elijah. 
The early Christians certainly had 
the power of doing wonderful works 
in attestation of the truths which they 
declared. What they bound on earth 
was bound in heaven, and what they 
loosed on earth was loosed in heaven, 
if two agreed as to what they should 
ask. So said Christ, Matt, xviii. 18, 
19: " Verily, I say unto you, What- 
soever ye shall bind on earth, shall 
be bound in heaven : and whatsoever 
ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed 
in heaven. Again I say unto you, 
That if two of you shall agree on 
earth, as touching anything that they 
shall ask, it shall be done for them 
of my Father which is in heaven." 
Two witnesses, under this rule, would 
have great power, f Smite the earth 
with all plagues. — The figure here 
is borrowed, undoubtedly, from the 



earth with all plagues, as often 
as they will. 

7 And when they shall have 
finished their testimony, the 
beast that ascendeth out of the 
bottomless pit shall make war 
against them, and shall over- 
come them, and kill them. 



plagues of Egypt. But concerning 
the plagues which are mentioned gen- 
erally in the Apocalypse, we refer the 
reader to what we shall say, under 
xxii. 19. 

. 7. The beast that ascendeth, &c. — 
When their duty was done, and God 
had no more for them to do here 
below, the beast, who could not come 
out of the pit without permission of 
God, shall assault them, and over- 
come them, and kill them. The fig- 
ure of the bottomless pit, we have 
explained in our notes on chap. ix. 2, 
to which we refer the reader. This 
is the first instance of our having met 
with the apocalyptical beast. The 
beast is a very different animal from 
the four beasts, or living creatures, 
mentioned in the fourth, fifth, and 
sixth chapters of the Apocalypse. 
The latter are Zoa, living creatures ; 
the former is to Therion, a wild ven- 
omous animal. This beast we shall 
consider more fully under succeeding 
chapters. It is sufficient to observe 
here, that it represents the leading 
power by which the Christians were 
put to death. ^[ Made war against 
them. — The beast made war against 
them, and overcame them, and killed 
them. The Roman beast had domin- 
ion in Judea ; and it was only by the 
Roman law that the Christians could 
be put to death. When Pilate gave 
up Jesus to the Jews, and said, " Take 
him, and judge him according to your 
law," they said, " It is not lawful for 
us to put any man to death John 
xviii. 31. The Jews could not legally 
kill ; the power to inflict death was 
reserved to the Roman law; when 
therefore the killing of the Christians 



190 



REVELATION. 



8 And their dead bodies shall 
lie in the street of the great city, 
which spiritually is called Sodom 
and Egypt, where also our Lord 
was crucified. 

9 And they of the people, 
and kindreds, and tongues, and 
nations, shall see their dead 
bodies three days and a half, 

is referred to, even though it be in 
Judea, the Roman beast is introduced 
as the agent of destruction. 

8. In the street of the great city. — 
They were killed in Jerusalem ; their 
dead bodies were seen in the streets 
of that city, Called Sodom and 
Egypt. — That wicked place was 
sometimes called Sodom, on account 
of its enormous crimes. It was to 
the leaders of Israel that Isaiah 
addressed himself when he said, 
" Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers 
of Sodom," &x. ; i. 10. Jerusalem 
was wicked like Sodom and Egypt, 
and hence was spiritually called by 
those names. Where our Lord was 
crucified. — But the revelator makes it 
certain what city he meant, by saying, 
" where also our Lord was cruci- 
fied." Jerusalem then was certainly 
intended. 

9. See their dead bodies. — The peo- 
ple of all nations who entered within 
the walls of Jerusalem, should see 
their dead bodies, denied the right of 
burial; a crime for which the Jews 
were afterwards visited with a like 
fate ; with terrific judgments, under 
which they died in such numbers that 
they had none to bury them, their 
wives, nor their sons, nor their daugh- 
ters, for God poured out their wicked- 
ness upon them; Jer. xiv. 16. The 
revelator seems to have had in his 
mind the language of the Psalmist : 
u O God, the heathen are come into 
thine inheritance; thy holy temple 
have they defiled ; they have laid 
Jerusalem on heaps. The dead bodies 
of thy servants have they given to be 
meat unto the fowls of the heaven, 



and shall not suffer their dead 
bodies to be put in graves. 

10 And they that dwell upon 
the earth shall rejoice over them, 
and make merry, and shall send 
gifts one to another ; because 
these two prophets tormented 
them that dwelt on the earth. 

11 And after three days and 



the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts 
of the earth. Their blood have they 
shed like water round about Jerusa- 
lem ; and there was none to bury 
them. We are become a reproach to 
our neighbors, a scorn and derision to 
them that are round about us :" Psa. 
lxxix. 1 — 4. 

10. Send gifts one to another. — To 
send gifts was a token of hilarity and 
joy. It was a custom especially on 
great occasions of rejoicing. These 
Christian witnesses had very faith- 
fully and very severely reproved man- 
kind, particularly the Jews, for their 
sins. The case of Stephen is in point 
here. They could scarcely contain 
themselves while he spoke to them. 
" They were cut to the heart ; and 
they gnashed on him with their 
teeth;" Acts vii. 54. They cried out 
with a loud voice, and stopped their 
ears, and ran upon him, and killed 
him ; verse 57. Glad indeed were 
they to get such men out of the way ; 
for they trembled and were tormented 
when their sins were pointed out. 
The death of such, therefore, was a 
cause of rejoicing to the wicked. 

11. Three days and a half. — This 
is about the same length of time 
which intervened between our Lord's 
death and resurrection. Perhaps the 
revelator had his mind on that fact. 
% They stood upon their feet. — It is 
not absolutely certain, that the account 
of the treatment of the Christian wit- 
nesses is to be understood in ifs- lit- 
eral import, although we have so 
explained it. The language is suscep- 
tible of either interpretation ; though 
we should be led by Rev. xx. 4, to 



CHAPTER XI. 



191 



a half the spirit of life from God 
entered into them, and they 
stood upon their feet ; and great 
fear fell upon them which saw 
them. 

12 And they heard a great 
voice from heaven, saying unto 
them, Come up hither. And 
they ascended up to heaven in a 
cloud ; and their enemies be- 
held them. 

suppose that it is to be taken liter- 
ally : " I saw the souls of them that 
were beheaded for the witness of Jesus," 
&c, referring to the Christian wit- 
nesses. If we adopt the literal inter- 
pretation, then we are to suppose, 
that after the bodies had lain in the 
streets of Jerusalem for a short time, 
they were raised to life again, and 
ascended to heaven. If we take the 
metaphorical sense, we shall under- 
stand the death of the witnesses to 
describe the tribulations and suffer- 
ings of those men who rendered them- 
selves eminent by bearing witness of 
the resurrection of Jesus. Ezekiel 
had described the low state of the 
house of Israel under the figure of 
death. He saw a valley full of bones 
which were very dry. Subsequently 
there was a shaking among them; 
the sinews and flesh came upon them 
and the skin covered them ; breath 
entered into them, and they " lived 
and stood upon their feet xxxvii. 
1 — 10. The language of the revela- 
tor is similar : " Life from God en- 
tered into them, and they stood upon 
their feet." The resurrection of the 
witnesses, in this view, would repre- 
sent their deliverance from, suffering, 
the success of their cause, the fulfil- 
ment of their predictions, and the tri- 
umph of the truth. 

12. Ascended up to heaven. — If the 
account be understood literally, they 
ascended, like Jesus, into heaven. 
If metaphorically, it may be intended 
to complete the figure, and show that 
unto the last God gave them evident 



13 And the same hour was 
there a great earthquake, and 
the tenth part of the city fell, 
and in the earthquake were 
slain of men seven thousand : 
and the remnant were affrighted, 
and gave glory to the God of 
heaven. 

14 The second woe is past ; 
and behold, the third woe com- 
eth quickly. 

signs of his approval, as much so as 
if he called them to dwell in his im- 
mediate presence. 

13. Tenth part of the city fell. — 
This verse shows that the revelator 
was describing scenes that were con- 
nected with the partial destruction of 
the city ; and that its total overthrow 
had not yet come, although it was 
very near at hand. He had taken a 
momentary retrospection of the budd- 
ing of the temple and the sufferings 
of the Christians in the holy city, be- 
fore he proceeded to describe its final 
overthrow. Jesus told the Jews, in 
connection with his description of the 
overthrow of their city, that they had 
killed and crucified the holy men 
whom God had sent to them ; and 
that their nation should be held ac- 
countable for " all the righteous blood 
shed upon the earth, from the blood 
of Zacharias unto the blood of Bara- 
chias, whom they slew between the 
temple and the altar." And the pun- 
ishment of this treatment of God's 
witnesses he said, should "come upon 
this generation ;" Matt, xxiii. 34 — 36. 

14. The third woe cometh quickly. — 
There is no delay ; the mighty angel 
had sworn there should be none ; 
Rev. x. 6. The first woe embraced 
the first approach of the Roman ar- 
mies ; the second woe embraced the 
final approach of those armies, and 
the declaration of the angel that the 
end had come, and time should be no 
more ; and the third woe embraced 
the sounding of the seventh angel, 
and the winding up of the great scene. 



192 



REVELATION. 



15 And the seventh angel 
sounded ; and there were great 

And that no considerable time elapsed 
between the second and third woe, is 
evident from the declaration of the 
angel, and also from the words, " The 
third woe cometh quickly." Let us 
attend to the sounding of the seventh 
angel, the last of the series. 

15. The seventh angel sounded. — 
The seventh trumpet was the great 
trumpet, — the sabbatical trumpet, 
which announced the end; no other 
trumpet was to follow, for this was 
the last, in the matter the revelator 
was describing. We have stated 
again and again, that seven was a 
favorite arithmetical series with the 
Jews. The revelator speaks of the 
seven churches, seven golden candle- 
sticks, seven stars, seven horns, seven 
eyes, seven spirits, seven angels, sev- 
en thunders, seven trumpets, seven 
last plagues, seven vials full of 
wrath, &c. &c. When, therefore, 
we come to the seventh trumpet, we 
come to the last of the series. There 
is no eighth trumpet, or ninth ; the 
closing of the whole scene is described 
under the seventh. % The kingdoms 
of our Lord and of his Christ. — And 
what happened when the seventh an- 
gel sounded ? Hark ! " There were 
great voices in heaven !" The mys- 
tery of God is about to be finished! 
And what did these great voices in 
heaven say? Listen again! "The 
kingdoms of this world are become 
the kingdoms of our lord and of 
his Christ ; and he shall reign 

FOKEVER AND EVER." This IS the 

establishment of Christianity upon the 
fall of Judaism. It is the setting up 
of the reign of God and his Christ. 
It was the subject of all sacred proph- 
ecy, that in the days of the Roman 
power the God of heaven should set 
up a kingdom, and this kingdom was 
to triumph over all the nations of the 
earth. " And in the days of these 
kings shall the God of heaven set up 
a kingdom, which shall never be de- 
stroyed : and the kingdom shall not 



voices in heaven, saying, The 
kingdoms of this world are be- 

be left to other people, but it shall 
break in pieces and consume all these 
kingdoms, and it shall stand for- 
ever;" Dan. ii. 44. Jesus shall reign 
forever and ever ; or, as Isaiah says, 
" Of the increase of his government 
and peace there shall be no end 
ix. 7. Nebuchadnezzar was taught 
"that the Most High ruleth in the 
kingdoms of men ;" Dan. ii. 17, 25, 
32. God exalteth and abaseth whom 
he will. Hence Daniel saw, in his 
vision, "that the thrones ivere cast 
down, and the Ancient of days did 
sit ;" vii. 9 ; and at that time " thou- 
sand thousands ministered unto him, 
and ten thousand times ten thousand 
stood before him [agreeing very well 
with the language of the revelator] : 

THE JUDGMENT WAS SET AND THE 

books were opened." See Dan. vii. 
10. Now that this describes the 
judgment of the nations, at the time 
of the establishment of Christ's king- 
dom, cannot be. denied. It was then 
that the judgment took place; it was 
then that the books were opened ; 
Dan. vii. 10. And hence Daniel 
said, in that immediate connection, 
concerning the Son of man : " And 
there was given him dominion, and 
glory, and a kingdom, that all people, 
nations, and languages should serve 
him : his dominion is an everlasting 
dominion, which shall not pass away, 
and his kingdom, that which shall 
not be destroyed," verse 14 ; that is, 
'• he shall reign forever and ever." 
Who can doubt that Daniel and the 
revelator described the same scene 
in the passages quoted ? The argu- 
ment, it seems to us, has the force of 
demonstration. Jesus, the Son of 
man, established this kingdom. It 
was. called " the kingdom of heaven," 
" the kingdom of God." The gospel 
was "the gospel of the kingdom." 
Jesus came to usher it in. His pre- 
decessor said, " The kingdom of 
heaven is at hand ;" Matt. iii. 2. 
When Jesus began to preach, he said, 



CHAPTER XI, 



193 



come the kingdoms of our Lord, 
and of his Christ ; and he shall 
reign forever and ever. 

16 And the four and twenty- 
elders, which sat before God on 



" The kingdom of heaven is at hand ;" 
iv. 17. And when he sent out the 
twelve, he told them to say, "The 
kingdom of heaven is at hand ;" x. 7. 
It was partially established during the 
life of the Lord Jesus, but not fully 
so. His coming in his flesh was 
marked by his humiliation ; but there 
was to be another coming, a different 
one, "in the glory of his Father.-'' 
" For the Son of man shall come in 
the glory of his Father, with his an- 
gels ; and then he shall reward every 
man according to his works. Verily 
I say unto you, There be some stand- 
ing here which shall not taste of death 
till they see the Son of man coming in 
his kingdom ;" Matt. xvi. 27, 28. 
Again, " There be some of them that 
stand here which shall not taste of 
death, till they have seen the king- 
dom Of God COME WITH POWER. ;" 

Mark ix. 1. Mark the latter expres- 
sion. The kingdom of God came 
with power at the fall of Judaism, 
when the great voices in heaven were 
heard to utter, " The kingdoms of 
this world are become the kingdoms 
of our Lord and of his Christ." This 
kingdom, was at hand when Jesus 
and his apostles preached; they an- 
nounced its coming ; and they very 
particularly stated, again and again, 
that it should come in power and with 
great glory, during the generation 
the n on the earth ; ]\Iatt. xvi. 27, 28 ; 
Mark viii. 38 ; ix. 1 ; Luke ix.26, 27. 
We have not a doubt, therefore, that 
the sounding of the seventh angel 
(the last, the sabbatical angel) de- 
noted the time when the kingdom of 
God came with power, and the city 
and temple fell, and Judaism was 
set aside. Well might the great 
voices in heaven say, " The king- 
doms of this world are become the 
kingdoms of our Lord, and of his 
17 



their seats, fell upon their faces, 
and worshipped God, 

17 Saying, We give thee 
thanks, O Lord God Almighty, 
which art, and wast, and art to 



Christ ; and he shall reign forever 
and ever;" ver. 15. It is not meant 
that the kingdoms of this world had 
then already been, in full effect, won 
over to Christ. That, of course, was 
not true ; but it was true that a train 
of measures were put in operation 
which would in time render that 
event certain. The work was com- 
menced ; the kingdom of heaven was 
established among men ; and it was 
certain that in the operation of the 
principles of Christ, the whole world 
should at last be subdued. The lan- 
guage of the revelator regards the fu- 
ture as being present. As if a general 
should say, on taking some favorable 
position that ensured him the victory, 
" I have now gained the day ," i. e., 
I have taken those measures which 
render success certain. 

16. Worshipped God. — What else 
could we expect ? These were the 
elders mentioned in chap. iv. 4, as 
sitting around the throne, the repre- 
sentatives perhaps of the Jewish and 
Gentile Christians, twelve for each, 
— twelve for the tribes and twelve for 
the aposiles. They worshipped God. 

17. Hast taken to thee thy great 
power. — The kingdom of God had 
come with power, viz., the power of 
God, which indeed he might have 
exerted before, had he seen fit ; but 
he did not see fit to do so until the 
proper time arrived. That time did 
arrive at the sounding of the seventh 
angel ; and then God took to himself 
his great power and reigned, and 
caused " the kingdoms of this world 
to become the kingdoms of our Lord, 
and of his Christ." Not that Chris- 
tianity at that day prevailed in every 
heart, although there was a very wide 
diffusion of it. But the meaning is, 
that the opposing religion had fallen ; 
the kingdom was to be established so 



194 



REVELATION. 



come ; because thou hast taken 
to thee thy great power, arid 
hast reigned. 

18 And the nations were an- 

that it never could be put down ; it 
had been set up among all nations, 
and could not be overthrown ; the 
"kingdom was that which shall not 
be destroyed;" Dan. vii. 14. That 
train of measures was put into full 
and complete operation, which were 
to evangelize the world, in spite of 
all opposition. When the kingdom 
of God came with power, the crisis 
took place ; then the gospel passed 
out of its state of humiliation into its 
state of power and great glory. 

18. The nations were angry. — This 
agrees exactly with the testimony in 
the 2d Psalm, viz., that the heathen 
raged and the people imagined a 
vain thing, at the time when God set 
his king upon the holy hill of Zion. 
the place where Judaism had pre- 
vailed. ^[ The time of the dead. — This, 
too, was the time of the dead that 
they should be judged, a subject that 
will be more fully considered when 
we come to the 20th chapter and 12th 
verse. It was the time of the. re- 
ward of the faithful Christians, for 
although they were in great difficul- 
ties, they were saved. It was the 
time of signal retribution to their 
enemies, who were overwhelmed in a 
common destruction. To this Peter 
referred when he said, " For the time 
is come that judgment must begin at 
the house of God; and if it first begin 
at us, what shall the end be of them 
that obey not the gospel of God ? 
And if the righteous scarcely be 
saved, where shall the ungodly and 
the sinner appear?" 1 Peter iv. 
17, 18. The great mistake of com- 
mentators in regard to this judgment 
has been, that they have placed it at 
the giving up, or close of Christ's 
kingdom ; whereas it is certainly rep- 
sented as being set up when the king- 
dom of God came with power. Then 
"the Ancient of days did sit," and 
" the thrones were cast down then 



gry, and thy wrath is come, and 
the time of the dead, that they 
should be judged, and that thou 
shouldest give reward unto thy 

"THE JUDGMENT WAS SET AND THE 

books were opened ;" then " the Son 
of man came with the clouds of heav- 
en ;"' then " was given him dominion, 
and glory, and a kingdom, that 
all people, nations, and languages, 
should serve him," &c. See Daniel 
vii. 9—14. All these events were 
simultaneous. How strange it is, 
then, that expounders of the Bible 
have separated so widely the judg- 
ment from the establishment of the 
kingdom. The judgment commenced 
when the kingdom of God came with 
power. That this judgment was to 
take place when the Son of man came 
in his power and glory to reign, is 
evident from a great variety of texts. 
For instance, take one : "For the Son 
of man shall come in the glory of his 
Father, with his angels ; and then he 
shall reward every man according to 
his works. Verily, I say unto you, 
There be some standing here, which 
shall not taste of death, till they see 
the Son of man coming in his king- 
dom;" Matt. xvi. 27, 28. To this 
agrees precisely the testimony of 
the Lord Jesus in the Apocalypse : 
" And behold, I come quickly'; and 
my reward is with me, to give every 
man according as his work shall be 
xxii. 12. Does not this assert the re- 
warding of men according to their 
works ? and what else can the judging 
of the dead, small and great, intend? 
Did it not take place shortly after the 
revelator prophesied ? Mark the lan- 
guage, " Behold, I come quickly." 
Professor Stuart maintains that the 
coming of Christ was to take place 
speedily : and he classes all the pre- 
dictions in the Apocalypse to this 
effect together. " The plain and ob- 
vious sense [of en tachei] is speedily, 
quickly, shortly ; so ho kairos engus 
in Rev. i. 3, plainly interprets it. See 
also Rev. ii. 16 ; iii. 11 ; xi. 14 ; xxii. 
7, 12, 20." — (Com. on i. 1.) Here, 



CHAPTER XI 



195 



servants the prophets, and to the 
saints, and them that fear thy 
name, small and great ; and 

it will be seen, the professor classes 
all these passages together, and sup- 
poses them to refer to something that 
was speedily to take place. "We in- 
quire again, then, if men [the dead in 
ignorance, in trespasses, and sins] 
were to be rewarded according to 
their works at the coming of Christ, 
which was then near at hand, why 
need we look any further for it ? 
We here apply the professor's words, 
whicb we find in another of his books, 
but on the same subjec: : " What John 
declared would take phce shortly, hap- 
pened according to his prediction ; 
and if so, the dispute whether it is all 
to happen over again, [we place the 
italics as he did] after so many cen- 
turies, cannot be a dispute of much 
interest or importance. One fulfil- 
ment is enough." — (Hints on Proph- 
ecy. 2d ed., 1842, pp. 141, 142.) 
But let us take another view of this 
matter. Iu the verse before us it is 
said, " And the nations were angry, 
and thy wrath is come, and the time 
of the dead, that they should be 
judged, and that thou shouldest give 
reward unto thy servants the proph- 
ets, and to the saints, and them that 
fear thy name, small and great ; and 
shouldest destroy them which destroy 
the earth ;" xi. 18. Here the nations 
are described as being in existence as 
natious. " Thy wrath is come," as 
mentioned vi. 17: "For the great 
day of his wrath is come, and who 
shall be able to stand?" Lightfoot 
says, " One would think the final dis- 
solution of all the world were spoken 
of ; but look in ver. 16 s and you find 
the very same words that our Saviour 
applies to the destruction of that peo- 
ple [the Jews.] They said unto the 
mountains. Fall on us, and hide us, 
&c."— (Works, vi. 291, 292.) <• Thy 
wrath is come, and the time of the 
dead that they should be judged:" 
i. e., the time of the dead that they 
should be judged is come also j and 



shouldest destroy them which 
destroy the earth. 

19 And the temple of God 

that thou shouldest give reward unto 
thy servants ; the time for the latter 
had also come; Rev. xxii. 12. Did 
not the revelator look on all these 
things as taking place at the same 
time ? We have shown that the na- 
tions were angry when God set his 
king upon his holy hill of Zion. The 
heathen raged ; the people imagined 
a vain thing ; Psa. ii. Christ was 
exalted to reign over and judge the 
nations, — to break them with a rod 
of iron, and dash them in pieces like 
a potter's vessel. Some said, " We 
will not have this man to reign over 
us Luke xix. 14. They were an- 
gry. Jesus' wrath came upon them. 
" But those mine enemies, which 
would not that I should reign over 
them, bring hither, and slay them be- 
fore me ;" Idem, 27. It was at the 
time of the exaltation of Christ to 
reign in power and glory upon his 
mediatorial throne, that he gave re- 
ward unto his servants and to the 
saints, and them that feared his name, 
small and great ; it was then that he 
destroyed them who destroyed the 
land by their iniquities. The above 
argument is strengthened by the con- 
sideration, that God"s judgments are 
in the earth. On this point the sacred 
writers are very explicit. "Verily, 
he is a God that judgeth in the 
earth;" Psa.lviii.il. The Saviour 
said : " For judgment I am come into 
this world?'' Again, he said, " The 
Father judgeth no man, but hath 
committed all judgment unto the 
Son ;" John ix. 39 ; compare John 
v. 22. Now, if Go I has commute! 
all judgment unto the Son, and if 
Jesus came into this world to fulfil 
the high appointment of executing 
judgment, then thejudsment must be 
in this n-orld. Hence Jesus said, on 
another occasion, "Now is the judg- 
ment of this world :" John xii. 31. 
See, also, 1 Peter iv. 17, 18. The 
revelator says, "The great day of 



196 



REVELATION. 



was opened in heaven, and there 
was seen in his temple the ark 
of his testament ; and there were 

his wrath is come ; and who shall be 
able to stand?" vi. 17; and again, 
" Fear God and give glory to him, 
for the hour of his judgment is come 
xiv. 7. All this agrees with what 
Solomon said, Prov. xi. 31. 

19. Temple of God was opened in 
heaven. — From this verse we see 
that the old temple on Mount Zion 
was gone. The revelator saw that it 
had answered the purpose for which 
it was erected, and had been levelled 
with the dust. It shall be built no 
more. Here, for the first time in the 
Apocalypse, the temple is spoken of 
as being destroyed, demolished, gone. 
But as Paul showed the Hebrews 
that there was nothing good in Ju- 
daism which was not more than made 
up by Christianity, so the revelator, 
after having announced the fall of 
Judaism and the triumph of Chris- 
tianity, and the demolition of the 
temple, showed that the Christians 
had a temple still . "The temple of 
God was opened in heaven." This 
is a manifest allusion to the passing 
away of the temple on Zion, and to 
its being succeeded by the spiritual 
or heavenly temple of the gospel. 
Jesus foretold that the time should 
come, in which men. should cease to 
worship God on Gerizim or Zion, but 
should worship him. (wherever they 
might be) in spirit and in truth. 
"The temple of God was opened in 
heaven." It was a heavenly, spir- 
itual temple. All had access to it. 
In this spiritual temple was the ark 
of the new covenant. This covenant 
was written, not on tables of stone, 
nor on parchment, but in the minds 
and hearts of the people ; and Paul 
called it a new one, because the for- 
mer had "waxed old. and was ready 
to pass away Heb. i. 10 — 13. 
^[ There were lightnings, and voices, 
&c. — But all opposition to the gos- 
pel was not done. Wicked men 
would still oppose it; though the 



lightnings, and voices, and thun- 
derings, and an earthquake, and 
great hail. 

Son of man would ride forth con- 
quering and to conquer ; and this 
ineffectual opposition, which was to 
continue for a time, is denoted by 
the "lightnings and voices, and 
thunderings, and an earthquake and 
great hail." 

Thus have we brought our com- 
mentary on the Apocalypse to the 
end of the 11th chapter, and to the 
conclusion of the second great division 
of that book. The 12th chapter will 
commence a subject entirely new, 
viz., the opposition , to the Christian 
church by the power of Rome. 

CHAPTER XII. 

Prelimviary Considerations. — We 
come now to a new matter altogeth- 
er. At the close of the 11th chap- 
ter we finished the account of the fail 
of Jerusalem, and the abolishing of 
the first covenant, and of the triumph 
of the gospel on the ruins of Judaism, 
the prophecies of which are contained 
in what we call the second great divi- 
sion of the Apocalypse. The 12th 
chapter (which we are now r to con- 
sider) contains the beginning of the 
description of the persecution of the 
Christians by the pagan and civil 
power of the Roman Empire, and 
more especially of the city of Rome 
itself. 

The 12th chapter commences the 
second prophecy. In chap. i. 3, the 
revelator said, " Blessed is he that 
readeth, and they that hear, the words 
of this prophecy, and keep those things 
which are written therein : for the 
time is at hand." The prophecy here 
referred to extended to the end of the 
11th chapter ; and when the revelator 
was about to close up that prophecy, 
the angel said to him, "Thou must 
prophesy again, before [not the Jews 
only, but] many peoples, and nations, 
and tongues, and kings," (x. 11,) re- 
ferring to the nations and rulers of 
the Roman Empire. The mystery 



CHAPTER Xn. 



197 



CHAPTER XII. 

AND there appeared a great 
wonder in heaven; a woman 



of God was finished when the seventh 
(or last) angel began to sound ; x. 7 ; 
the sounding of the seventh angel 
is mentioned chap. xi. 15; and the 
events announced by the seventh 
trumpet are described from that verse 
to the end of the 11th chapter. So 
that the second prophecy, or the 
prophecy concerning the Roman Em- 
pire, begins at the commencement of 
the 12th chapter. 

It is now necessary, first of all, to 
remember, that the events of the 12th 
chapter are not consecutive in order 
of time to those described in the pre- 
ceding chapters ; but the succeeding 
portions of the Apocalypse double 
back, as to time, upon all the former 
parts of the book. In fact, we are 
not sure that the event with which 
the 12th chapter opens, is, of all the 
events in the Apocalypse, the earliest 
in point of time. John was to write 
things that were past, as well as 
those that were future. " Write the 
things which thou hast seen, and the 
things which are. and the things which 
shall be hereafter ;" i. 19. The events 
described at the opening of the 12th 
chapter, are those which he had seen ; 
they were not in the nature of a 
rophecy, but a history, written in a 
ighly allegorical style. The events 
of the seventh trumpet are all de- 
scribed in chapter 11th. The seventh 
was the lust trumpet, for we do not 
read of any further trumpet. There 
is no eighth or ninth trumpet. This 
shows us conclusively, that the series 
of events embraced in the seven trum- 
pets are all described ; that part of 
the Apocalypse is completed. The 
reader is directed to our remarks at 
the end of the tenth chapter. With this 
premonition, we are prepared to com- 
mence the exposition of the chapter. 

1. Great wonder in heaven. — The 
Greek word here translated wonder, 
17* 



clothed with the sun, and the 
moon under her feet, and upon 
her head a crown of twelve 
stars : 



signifies sign, or metaphor. The 
woman which John saw, was a sign, 
or metaphor, of an extraordinary 
character. The scene was laid in the 
heavens, i. e., in the region of the 
sun, moon and stars. She had the 
moon under her feet, and conse- 
quently is described as being in 
heaven, — not the invisible dwelling- 
place of the Almighty, — but the 
apparent place of the heavenly bodies, 
the firmament. % A woman clothed 
with the sun. — A woman, in meta- 
phorical language, is used to signify 
a city, a nation, a state or body poli- 
tic. This method of representing 
nations and cities under the symbol 
of women, was copied from the 
eastern by the western world. Rome 
has long been known under this 
figurative description. And we have 
all seen Britannia represented as a, 
woman. Among the Roman coins is 
one of the Emperor Vespasian, on the 
reverse of which is a captive woman, 
hanging her mournful head, and the 
inscription is, Judea. — (Woodhouse.) 
How readily this brings to mind the 
words of Jeremiah: "How doth the 
city sit solitary, that was full of peo- 
ple ! how is she become as a widow ! 
she that was great among the nations, 
and princess among the provinces, 
how is she become tributary! She 
weepeth sore in the night, and her 
tears are on her cheeks : among all 
her lovers she hath none to comfort 
her : all her friends have dealt treach- 
erously with her, they are become her 
enemies. Judah is gone into cap- 
tivity because of affliction, and be- 
cause of great servitude : she dwell- 
eth among the heathen, she findeth 
no rest: all her persecutors overtook 
her between the straits:" Lam. i. 
1 — 3. There will be no doubt then 
in the reader's mind, that the Old 
Testament writers adopted the meta- 



198 



REVELATION. 



2 And she, being with child, cried, travailing in birth, and 



phor of a woman to represent a city, 
nation, or people. So Jerusalem was 
represented ; and as that city is used 
as a figure of the holy city, New 
Jerusalem, or the gospel covenant, 
that covenant is represented in the 
same manner. See Isa. liv. 5, 6 : 
" For thy Maker is thy husband ; the 
Lord of hosts is his name ; and thy 
Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; 
the God of the whole earth shall he 
be called. For the Lord hath called 
thee as a woman forsaken and grieved 
in spirit, and a wife of youth,' when 
thou wast refused, saith thy God." 
St. Paul certainly borrows this figure 
from the very passage we have quoted 
from the prophet. He compared the 
two covenants to two women. These 
things, said he, "are an allegory." 
"For this Agar is mount Sinai in 
Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem 
which now is, and is in bondage with 
her children. But Jerusalem which 
is above is free, which is the mother 
of us ott;" Gal. iv. 25, 26. And then 
Paul proceeds to make a quotation 
from the very passage in Isaiah from 
which the above quotation was made. 
The new Jerusalem, or new covenant, 
then, is described as a woman, a 
mother. Those Jews who were con- 
verted to the gospel, were said to be 
born again, born of water and the 
spirit, the symbol of truth operating 
on the mind ; and by a similar figure 
were said to be "children of the cov- 
enant," by whose power they were 
brought forth. "Ye are the children 
of the prophets, and of the covenant 
which God made with our fathers, 
saying unto Abraham, And in thy 
seed shall all the kindreds of the earth 
be blessed ;" Acts hi. 25. \ Clothed 
with the sim ; — i. e., she had on a rai- 
ment of light. This figure too is 
derived from the prophets, for God is 
said to " cover himself with light as 
with a garment ;" Psa. civ. 2. Hence 
he is said to be a sun and a shield, 
and to give grace and glory ; lxxxiv. 
11. The woman was adorned with 



nothing earthly ; she was arrayed in 
pure and heavenly light. \ The 
moon under her feet ; — i. e., she was 
above all lesser lights ; she was clothed 
with the sun, and therefore outshone 
all other orbs. Paul seems to repre- 
sent the two covenants by the figures 
of the sun and moon. The old cov- 
enant was the lesser light. It had a 
glory before the appearance of the 
greater ; but that glory was to be 
done away. The new covenant had 
a greater glory. " For if the minis- 
tration of condemnation be glory, 
much more doth the ministration of 
righteousness exceed in glory. For 
even that which was made glorious 
had no glory m this respect, by reason 
of the glory that excelleth;" 2 Cor. 
iii. 9, 10. How beautifully, then, is 
the new covenant represented in " al- 
legory," by "a woman, clothed with 
the sun, and the moon under her 
feet." "VVe cannot conceive of a finer 
metaphor. The revelator seems to 
have designed to express the precise 
idea conveyed by Paul in the quota- 
tion just made. The woman was the 
representative of the greatest moral 
light the world hath, ever seen, or 
will see, viz., the covenant of the 
gospel ; and hence she is described as 
being above the low condition of this 
sub-luna world. "[[ A crown of twelve 
stars. — What a crown, with stars as 
jewels! These doubtless represented 
the twelve apostles of the Lamb, who 
were afterwards to be called and 
appointed as ministers of the truth. 
Their names were to be written on 
the twelve foundations of the heav- 
enly Jerusalem ; xxi. 14, If the seven 
stars, in Rev. i. 20, are' "the angels 
of the seven churches," so are the 
twelve stars, in the woman's crown, 
the twelve angels of the new cove- 
nant, or the twelve apostles. 

2. Travailing in birth . — This is the 
same metaphor emplo3'ed by Isaiah : 
"As soon as Zion [the name of the 
new covenant] travailed, she brought 
forth her children:" Isa. lxvi. 8. 



CHAPTER XII. 



pained to be delivered. 

3 And there appeared another 

This is a further confirmation of the 
opinion expressed above, that the 
woman who travailed in birth repre- 
sented the new covenant. For what 
is meant by Zion travailing? Zion 
certainly stands for the new covenant. 
"We have shown already, that Paul 
regarded Sinai and Jerusalem from 
above as an allegory to represent 
" the two covenants ;" Gal. iv. 24. 
Zion is but another name for the 
heavenly Jerusalem. Hence Paul 
says to the Hebrews, " Ye are come 
unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of 
the living God, the heavenly Jeru- 
salem, # # # an d_ to Jesus the 
mediator of the new covenant" &c ; 
Heb. xii. 22—24. Taking, then, the 
accustomed use of figures by the 
sacred writers as our guide, we are 
surely led to the conclusion that the 
woman may represent Zion in travail, 
as expressed in Isa. lxvi. 8. Paul 
employs a like figure, when he says, 
" My little children, of whom I travail 
in birth again, until Christ be formed 
in you ;" Gal. iv. 19, A like figure 
occurs in the following passage : " But 
thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though 
thou be little among the thousands 
of Judah, yet out of thee shall he 
come forth unto me that is to be 
Ruler in Israel; whose goings forth 
have been from of old, from everlast- 
ing. Therefore will he give them 
up, until the time that she which 
travaileth hath brought forth : then 
the remnant of his brethren shall 
return unto the children of Israel. 
And he shall stand and feed in the 
strength of the Lord, in the majesty 
of the name of the Lord his God ; and 
they shall abide : for now shall he be 
great, unto the ends of the earth;" 
Micah v. 2 — 4. How agreeable both 
to prophetical and apostolical usage, 
for the revelator to represent Zion as 
" travailing in birth and pained to be 
delivered." 

3. Another wonder in heaven. — By 
this is meant that another remarkable 



199 

wonder in heaven ; and behold, 
a great red dragon, having seven 

metaphor or sign appeared, up in the 
heavenly field where the revelator 
saw the woman clothed with the sun. 
IT A great red dragon. — This sign, or 
metaphor, was "a great red dragon, 
with seven heads, and ten horns, and 
seven crowns on his heads." The 
dragon was a fabulous animal, per- 
haps supposed by the ancients to have 
had an actual existence. It is thought 
by some to have been like a winged 
serpent, and by others like the croco- 
dile. Be this as it may, there is 
no question that the dragon before us, 
like the woman clothed with the sun, 
is altogether allegorical. No such 
real animal ever existed, as is de- 
scribed in the verse before us. Hav- 
ing settled, then, that the dragon is 
allegorical, we must proceed to inquire 
what he represents. And, first, did 
the prophets use the dragon as a met- 
aphor? and if so, what did they 
intend it to represent? This is the 
first time the word is used in the 
Apocalypse. Let us look into the 
Old Testament. In speaking of the 
way in which God wrought destruc- 
tion upon his enemies, David said: 
"Thou didst divide the sea by thy 
strength ; thou breakest the heads of 
the dragons in the waters ;" Psa. 
lxxiv. 13. By " dragons " here seem 
to be meant the Egyptian hosts who 
pursued the children of Israel. The 
prophet describes God's enemies under 
the figure of a dragon, Isa. xxvii.'l : 
" In that day the Lord with his sore 
and great and strong sword shall 
punish leviathan the piercing serpent, 
even leviathan that crooked serpent ; 
and he shall slay the dragon that is 
in the sea." See also Isa. li. 9 : " Art 
thou not it that hath cut Rahab, 
[Egypt,] and wounded the dragon?" 
Here the Egyptians, who pursued the 
Israelites to destroy them, are again 
represented under the metaphor of 
a dragon. Nebuchadnezzar was a 
dragon to the Jews. See Jer. li. 34 : 
" Nebuchadnezzar the king of Baby- 



200 



REVELATION. 



heads and ten horns, and seven 
crowns upon his heads. 

Ion hath devoured me, he hath crushed 
me, lie hath made me an empty ves- 
sel, he hath swallowed me up like a 
dragon, he hath filled his belly with 
my delicates, he hath cast me out." 
The same figure is applied to Pha- 
raoh, king of Egypt, in Ezek. xxix. 3 : 
" Speak and say", Thus saith the Lord 
God ; Behold, I am against thee, Pha- 
raoh, king of Egypt, the great dragon 
that lieth in the midst of his rivers, 
which hath said, My river is mine 
own, and I have made it for myself." 
Thus have we shown, indisputably, 
that by the figure of the dragon, the 
Old Testament writers were accus- 
tomed to represent powerful, cruel, 
crushing enemies. Of this there is 
no doubt; and the same sense shall 
we apply to the dragon before us. 
But what enemy is represented? We 
must determine that by his heads and 
horns. % Seven heads. — In giving a 
description of mystery Babylon, the 
mother of harlots, [by which the city 
of Rome was doubtless meant,] the 
revelator says : " The seven heads 
[of the beast] are seven mountains, 
on which the woman sitteth ;" xvii. 
9. This is so direct an allusion to 
Rome, that there seems no danger of 
mistake. Rome, the seat of the im- 
perial government, was "the seven- 
hilled city." Historians, geographers 
and poets, all speak of the city with 
seven hills ; and passages might be 
quoted to this purpose without num- 
ber and without end. But the seven 
heads of the dragon represented not 
merely the seven mountains on which 
the city stood, but also " seven kings ;" 
xvii. 10 ; and hence it is said, that 
the dragon had "seven crowns upon 
his heads." It seems evident, then, 
that this great fire-colored (purros) 
dragon represented something apper- 
taining to the Roman Empire. *[[ Ten 
horns. — And he not only had seven 
heads, but ten horns. Horns are em- 
blems of power; and in the case 
before us they represent earthly 



4 And his tail drew the third 
part of the stars of heaven, and 



rulers. Turn now to Rev. xvii. 12, 
for the explanation : " The ten horns 
which thou sawest are ten kings." 
And so, concerning the beast which 
Daniel saw in his vision, we are told : 
11 And the ten horns out of this King- 
dom are ten kings that shall arise ;" 
Dan. vii. 24. This, then, is the 
explanation which the sacred writers 
themselves give of this matter. The 
dragon was that power in the Roman 
Empire which was the first to perse- 
cute the Christians. Observe, that he 
did not rise out of the sea, like the 
beast mentioned in chap, xiii., which 
we shall consider largely when we 
come to that place : but he appeared 
as a sign, or wonder, in heaven. Per- 
haps John placed this scene in the 
firmament, and chose the figures 
principally from celestial objects, to 
denote that he was describing spirit- 
ual matters. If so, the dragon repre- 
sented a spiritual power ; and hence 
we infer it was Rome spiritual, or 
Rome in her religious character. It 
was this power of the empire which 
commenced the persecution of the 
Christians ; and the dragon is the first 
emblem we find in the Apocalypse to 
represent Roman persecution. It is 
true the civil power was subsequently 
incited to the opposition ; but Pagan- 
ism was the inciting cause of the 
persecution. Hence the great fire- 
colored dragon appears in the descrip- 
tion before the beast, [the secular 
power,] mentioned in chap. xiii. 
Christ came to overthrow Paganism ; 
but he did not come to overthrow the 
government of the empire. Pagan- 
ism, therefore, under the figure of the 
dragon, is first represented as seek- 
ing to crush Christ. But let us 
attend further to the description of the 
dragon. 

4. His tail drew a third part of the 
stars. — The object here is to set forth 
the extraordinary power of the dragon. 
In chap. ix. 17 — 19, we found a highly 
figurative description of the cavalry 



CHAPTER XII. 



201 



did cast them, to the earth : and 
the dragon stood before the 
woman which was ready to be 

» of the Roman army. The horses 
breathed fire and smoke and brim- 
stone ; and their tails were like ser- 
pents, having heads. The sole intent 
in that passage seems to have been to 
represent the horses to be as fearful 
as possible. So, to represent the 
dragon's power, it is said, "his tail 
drew a third part of the stars." The 
dragon, if he represented the spiritual 
power of Rome, or paganism, would, 
of course, have great influence among 
the rulers of the empire ; they would 
be more or less under his guidance ; 
and all who have learned of the 
immense power of heathen priests, 
know that they could almost make 
and unmake rulers at their pleasure. 
They had means of guiding public 
sentiment and controlling the public 
will. Such a power in the dragon, 
would be well described by his draw- 
ing after him the stars of heaven. 
John had placed the scene in the 
firmament, among the stars. He 
showed the dragon's power, therefore, 
by representing him as drawing the 
stars. The metaphor, perhaps, was 
suggested by the passage in Daniel : 
•• And it waxed great, even to the 
host of heaven : and it cast down 
some of the host and of the stars to 
the ground, and stamped upon them 
viii. 10. Daniel meant by stars Jew- 
ish rulers. The dragon was repre- 
sented as very powerful ; he had 
immense influence. It would seem 
to require 'great power to strike the 
stars out of their places. Star stands, 
in the metaphorical language of the 
Bible, for a ruler, an eminent person, 
a^ we saw in treating of the angels 
of the churches ; i. 20. This dragon 
had power to draw many of the rulers 
after him. When men are drawn 
a way by bad influences, they are com- 
pared to wandering stars ;" Jude 
13. To cast the stars down from 
heaven to the earth is to degrade 
men, — to throw them down from 



' delivered, for to devour her 
I child as soon as it was born. 
5 And she brought forth a 

I their high stations. So Isaiah says, 
u How art thou fallen from heaven, 
Lucifer, son of the morning xiv. 
12. The dragon had power to cause 
many to fall from their high estate of 
purity and faithfulness. *Jf To devour 
her child. — It will be seen that this 
was the great object of the dragon, — 
his first and most earnest purpose, 
j And he desired to accomplish it spee- 
! dily. He watched for the child that 
was about to be born, that he might 
devour it. 

5. Brought forth a man-child. — This 
is one of the most interesting verses 
in the whole chapter. The prophet 
said, " A virgin shall conceive and 
! bear a son, and thou shalt call his 
j name Immanuel ;" Isa. vii. 14. A 
! '-'man-child" was born. Is not this 
j the man-child brought forth by Zion, 
; and mentioned in Isa. lxvi ? At any 
| rate the figures are similar : " Before 
she travailed, she brought forth ; be- 
fore her pain came, she was delivered 
| of a man-child. Who hath heard 
such a thing ? who hath seen such 
things ? shall the earth be made to 
bring forth in one day ? or shall a 
nation be born at once ? for as soon 
as Zion travailed, she brought forth 
her children j" verses 7, 8, of the 
chapter mentioned. ^ Ride all nations 
with a rod of iron. — This man-child 
was "to rule all nations with a rod 
of iron." Who is this but the Christ ? 
God says of his Son, whom he had 
begotten : " Ask of me, and I will 
give thee the heathen for thine inher- 
itance, and the uttermost parts of the 
! earth for thy possession. Thou shalt 
j break them with a rod of iron," &:c. ; 
I Psa. ii. 8, 9 ; Rev. ii. 26, 27 ; xix. 15. 
It seems difficult to avoid the thought 
that the revelator had his mind on 
this passage in the 2d Psalm, when 
he said that the man-child " was to 
rule all nations with a rod of iron." 
T[ Unto God and his throne. — This 
may signify that God took Jesus. 



202 



REVELATION. 



man-child, who was to rule all 

nations with a rod of iron : and 
her child was caught up unto 
God, and to his throne. 



under his peculiar protection ; and 
that he was safe from all that God 
did not design that he should suffer, 
as if he had been caught up to God 
and his throne ; or it may signify 
that Jesus, at his death, was taken 
up to heaven to sit down at the right 
hand of God. Jesus and his religion 
was the continued object of persecu- 
tion, all over the Roman empire, 
wherever it was preached. His death 
was no hindrance to the propagation 
of his religion, but rather a great help 
to it. So signal a display of divine 
power was it in God, to cause the 
wrath of man to praise him, that even 
when, the powers of earth succeeded 
to kill him, the hand of God was in 
it, and God was said to have " caught 
him up to his throne." We know 
that Herod, the Roman governor, 
sought to slay the infant Jesus almost 
as soon as he was born ; and his 
mother was obliged to flee away with 
him into Egypt, where she remained 
until Herod died ; Matt. ii. 12—20. 
But we have said God <• caught him 
up to his throne ;" and there the rev- 
elator saw him. "And I beheld, and 
lo, in the midst of the throne, and of 
the four beasts, and in the midst of 
the elders, stood a Lamb," &rc. ; v. 6. 
Hence the throne is called from that 
time "the throne of God and the 
Lamb." The Son, from the time 
that the Father caught him up to his 
throne, was safe in heaven. Perse- 
cution could no more assail him, and 
accordingly we read no more of his 
being persecuted. But persecutions 
still continued. "And the dragon 
was wroth with the woman, and went 
to make war with the remnant of her 
seed, which keep the commandments 
of God, and have the testimony of 
Jesus Christ ;" verse 17. The mem- 
bers of the church on earth still suf- 
fered under the wrath of the dragon. 



6 And the woman fled into 
the wilderness, where she hath 
a place prepared of God, that 
they should feed her there a 



6. The woman fed into the wilder- 
ness. — It is not necessary to suppose 
that the woman fled into the wilder- 
ness after her child was caught up to 
the throne of God ; but after the 
birth. The sense may be as follows : 
And she brought forth a man-child, 
who was to rule all nations with a 
rod of iron ; and her child was [sub- 
sequently, viz., at his resurrection] 
caught up unto God and his throne. 
But the woman, the mother, fled into 
the wilderness, where she had a place 
prepared of God. In this case it is 
possible the revelator referred to 
Mary, the earthly mother of Jesus, 
who, as we have seen, fled with her 
son into Egypt. It is by no means 
certain, however, that this is the true 
interpretation. It may signify the 
retirement of the believers into ob- 
scure places, in consequence of the 
raging persecutions. The Hebrews 
used the word which we translate 
wilderness, to signify all places that 
were not cultivated, but which were 
chiefly destined to the feeding of cat- 
tle, and on which trees grew wild. 
So when wilderness is mentioned in 
Scripture, we are not always to imag- 
ine it to be a place forsaken, aban- 
doned, void of cities, or inhabitants ; 
as this word often represents the soil 
near a city, or village, which was 
appointed for a pasture, and where 
the plough never came. Thus, in 
Scripture, there are few cities which 
had not their wilderness, i. e., uncul- 
tivated places for woods or pastures. 
We need not suppose, therefore, that 
the Christians all rushed to one and 
the same place; but ihey resorted to 
obscure retreats, in the times of the 
greatest danger. They fled at times 
from one place to another, as their 
Master told them to do ; Matt. x. 23. 
So Paul went from Amphipolis to 
Apollonia, thence to Thessalonica, 



CHAPTER XII. 



203 



thousand two hundred and three- 
score days. 

thence to Berea, and thence to Athens. 
The Christians were not required to 
sacrifice their lives uselessly and 
rashly. They were to riee before 
persecution, and live and preach as 
long as they could, and as long as it 
was God's will. But they were never 
to hold life dearer than the cause of 
Christ, and were never to renounce 
the latter to save the former. If A 
thousand two hundred and threescore 
days. — The revelator merely touches 
upon the persecution of the woman in 
this place; and, intending to resume 
it again, he passes hastily to the sub- 
ject mentioned in the next verse. 
The persecution of the woman is 
resumed, ver. 13. By the thousand 
two hundred and threescore days is 
meant the time of the church's depres- 
sion, and the triumph of the perse- 
cuting power, as we have shown 
under xi. 2, 3. It is the same season 
that is referred to in ver. 14, as a 
time, times, and half a time. This is 
made certain by a comparison of ver. 6 
with ver. 14. 

7. There was war in heaven. — War 
is put for spiritual contests in the Scrip- 
tures. "For though we walk in the 
flesh, we do not war after the flesh ; 
for the weapons of our warfare are 
not carnal, but mighty through God 
to the pulling down of strong holds." 
drc, &c. ; 2 Cor. x. 3, 4. Paul 
charged Timothy "to war a good 
warfare ;" 1 Tim. i. 28 ; again he 
tells him to "endure hardness as a 
good soldier of Jesus Christ ;" and that 
"no man that warreth entangleth 
himself with the affairs of this life, 
that he may please him that hath 
chosen him to be a soldier ;" 2 Tim. 
ii. 3, 4. And he says, in the same 
epistle: "I have fought a good fight, 
I have finished my course, I have 
kept the faith ;" iv. 7. There can be 
no doubt that war is often put in the 
Scriptures for spiritual contests. The 
Christian is a "soldier," and Christ 



7 And there was war in 
heaven : Michael and his angels 

is "the captain of our salvation." 
This war may be said to have been 
in heaven perhaps for two reasons. 
1st. John had laid the scene of these 
transactions in the firmament, the 
field of the sun, moon and stars. 
The dragon was introduced first of all 
in that field. The war certainly was 
metaphorical. The whole account is of 
that nature. No such events actually 
took place among the stars. The 
scene was laid there in the revelator's 
imagination. War in heaven may 
also signify a spiritual contest. This 
is the only place in the Bible in which 
that expression occurs. It was the 
contest, says Sir Isaac Newton, be- 
tween "the Christian and heathen 
religions ;" and we quote the words as 
expressing the idea, which, in our 
view, the revelator intended to con- 
vey . % Michael and h is angels. — The 
inquiry will now arise, who was Mi- 
chael? He was an imaginary leader 
of the Christian forces, as the dragon, 
that old serpent, who is the devil and 
Satan, (for these four terms all sig- 
nify the same thing.) was the imagi. 
nary leader of the opposition. Mi- 
chael is mentioned in the books of 
Daniel, Jude and the Apocalypse. In 
Daniel the name seems to be applied 
to one of the chief princes of Persia, 
an amiable and excellent personage, 
who succored Daniel and the Jews, 
while they were in captivity, and 
rendered them very essential service; 
see chap. x. 13, 21. From this fact 
his name came to be used metonym- 
ically for the guardian of good men, 
who would protect the Christians in 
the time of their troubles, as he had 
protected the Jews in their captivity; 
Dan. xii. 1. In the figurative lan- 
guage cf Jude, he is called an arch- 
angel, who had contended with the 
devil, (i. e., the opponents,) about the 
body of Moses, a figure to represent 
the Jewish church in captivity, just 
as the body of Christ represents the 



204 



REVELATION. 



fought against the dragon ; and 
the dragon fought and his angels, 
8 And prevailed not ; neither 

Christian church. See Eph. i. 22, 
23 : " Gave him to be the head over 
all things to the church, which is his 
body, the fulness of him that filleth 
all in all." Col. i. 24: "For his 
body's sake, which is the church." 
1 Cor. xii. 27 : " Now ye are the body 
of Christ, and members in particular." 
Michael, in metaphor, being spoken 
of as the guardian of the Jewish 
church, (metonymically, " the body 
of Moses,") so is he spoken of, in the 
same sense, as the guardian of the 
Christian church ; and he contended 
with the dragon, or devil, about the 
body of Christ, or the church. Hence 
came the battle, or spiritual contest, 
between "Michael and his angels," 
and " the dragon and his angels." 

The dragon fought and his angels. — 
We have given some account of the 
dragon under ver. 3. The dragon 
was the metaphorical leader of the 
opposition to Christianity, precisely 
as Michael was of the Christian 
forces. The spiritual contest is de- 
scribed under the metaphor of earthly 
warfare ; and therefore the spiritual 
forces are described under the meta- 
phor of earthly forces. Neither Mi- 
chael nor the dragon was a real being. 
Michael and his forces were the 
Christian forces ; the dragon and his 
forces were the heathen powers, that 
opposed and persecuted the Christians. 
The dragon, the old serpent, the devil 
and Satan, are all used to signify the 
leading opposers of Christianity. The 
great fact to be remembered in this 
place is, that this account of the 
contest is wholly allegorical, and 
describes the opposition between 
Christianity and heathenism. 

8. Prevailed not. — This is as we 
should expect. God's truth cannot 
be overcome. The Christian reli- 
gion prevailed in spite of all the op- 
position that was arrayed against it ; 
and the opposition could not prevail. 
It had numbers, wealth, learning, and 



was their place found any more 
in heaven. 

9 And the great dragon was 

prejudice to aid it ; but it could not 
prevail. ^[ Neither was their place 
found any more in heaven. — The drag- 
on was degraded, thrown down from 
his high place. John, having laid the 
scene of the contest in the firmament, 
thus gave himself a fine opportunity 
to describe the degradation of the 
dragon, by his being precipitated to 
the earth. Instead of succeeding in 
his attempt, the dragon was even 
further removed from the power of 
accomplishing it. 

9. The great dragon was cast out. — 
The dragon prevailed not ; he was 
beaten. He was cast out of heaven ; 
i. e., he was cast down from his place 
of spiritual power. The Christian 
religion was successful. When the 
seventy disciples returned to Jesus on 
a certain occasion, and told him of 
their great successes, he foresaw the 
ultimate triumph of his truth over all 
opposition, and he described the fall 
of that opposition in these words : — 
"I beheld Satan as lightning fall 
from heaven;" i. e. from his high 
power. I beheld, and saw him cast 
down. The same figure was used to 
describe the fall of the king of Baby- 
lon from his throne. Isa. xiv. 12 — 
15 : " How art thou fallen from heav- 
en, Lucifer, son of the morning! 
how art thou cut down to the ground, 
which didst weaken the nations ! — 
For thou hast said in thy heart, I 
will ascend into heaven, I will exalt 
my throne above the stars of God : 
I will sit also upon the mount of the 
congregation, in the sides of the 
north : I will ascend above the 
heights of the clouds ; I will be like 
the" Most High. Yet thou shalt be 
brought down to hell, to the sides of 
the pit." To be cast out of heaven 
into the earth was to be abased, — to 
be thrown down from high power and 
influence to weakness and degrada- 
tion. The battle of Michael and the 
dragon was a visionary scene. It 



CHAPTER Xn. 



205 



cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which 



existed only in the imagination of St. 
John ; though the circumstances in- 
tended to be described were realities. 
See our extract from Doddridge in 
our note on chapter iv. 4. Bishop 
Newton, we think, gives the best 
construction of the contest between 
Michael and the dragon : " This con- 
test lasted several years, and the 
final issue of it was, that the Chris- 
tian prevailed over the heathen reli- 
gion ; the heathen were deposed from 
all rule and authority, and the Chris- 
tians were advanced to dominion and 
empire in their stead." The Christian 
religion prevailed among the leading 
men of the empire. There is not the 
slightest evidence that by "the great 
dragon, that old serpent, called the 
Devil, and Satan," any other than 
earthly powers were intended. It is 
high time that all the old superstitions 
in regard to a super-human adversary 
passed away. That the devil stood 
for the earthly opponents of the Chris- 
tians is certain; for it is said, "The 
devil shall cast some of you into 
prison," Rev. ii. 10 ; and of course, 
the power that cast the Christians 
into prison was intended by the devil. 
That power was unquestionably the 
leading opponents of the church, 
against whom the Christians had to 
contend. Paul said to the Ephesians, 
" Put on the whole armor of God, 
that ye may be able to stand against 
the wiles of the devil ;" vi. 11 ; and 
then he shows who they were to con- 
tend with, in the next words : " For 
we wrestle not against flesh and 
blood, but against principalities, 
against the rulers of the darkness of 
this world, against spiritual wicked- 
ness in high places." These rulers 
these principalities, these powers 
were diabolos, the devil, that old ser 
pent, and Satan. The final and ut- 
ter overthrow of the dragon is men- 
tioned in Rev. xx. 1 — 3 and 7 — 10, to 
which places we refer for further re- 
marks on this topic. We take the 
opportunity here to say, if the dragon 
18 



of the Apocalypse signifies anything 
besides human adversaries, it is the 
only instance in the Bible in which it 
has such a signification. We find 
the dragon mentioned Psa. xci. 13 : 
" Thou shalt tread upon the lion and 
adder : the young lion and the dragon 
shalt thou trample under feet." Is 
any other than a human adversary 
intended here ? Is not this the mean- 
ing of the passage — thou shalt tri- 
umph over all thine enemies, even 
the most formidable? Are not the 
lion, the adder, the young lion, the 
dragon, all put for earthly enemies ? 
Why should the dragon be supposed 
to refer to a super-human adversary 
any more than the lion, or the adder ? 
The dragon is mentioned again, Isa. 
xxvii. 1 : "In that day the Lord with 
his sore and great and strong sword 
shall punish leviathan the piercing 
serpent, even leviathan that crooked 
serpent ; and he shall slay the dragon 
that is in the sea." What is meant 
here by the dragon that is in the sea ? 
Was it any other than a human ad- 
versary ? Adam Clarke, speaking of 
the animals mentioned in this verse, 
says : "These are used allegorically, 
without doubt, for great potentates, 
enemies and persecutors of the people 
of God ; but to specify the particular 
persons or states designed by the 
prophet under these images, is a mat- 
ter of great difficulty, and comes not 
necessarily within the design of these 
notes. R. D. Kimchi says, leviathan 
is a parable concerning the kings of 
the Gentiles ; it is the largest fish in 
the sea, called also tannin, the dragon, 
or rather the whale. By these names 
the Grecian, Turkish and Roman 
empires are intended. The dragon 
of the sea seems to mean some nation 
having a strong naval force and 
extensive commerce. — See Kimchi 
on the place." So far A. Clarke. 
We here have the Jewish use of the 
metaphor. It signified earthly oppos- 
ers and oppressors. The next in- 
stance in the common version in 



206 



REVELATION. 



deceiveth the whole world: he 
was cast out into the earth, and 

which mention is made of the dragon 
is Isaiah li. 9, 10: "Awake, awake, 
put on strength, arm of the Lord : 
awake, as in the ancient days, in the 
generations of old. Art thou not it 
that hath cut Rahab, and wounded 
the dragon ? Art thou not it which 
hath dried the sea, the waters of the 
great deep ; that hath made the depths 
of the sea a way for the ransomed to 
pass over?" This is an apostrophe 
to the arm of the Lord. It is called 
on to awake as in the ancient days, 
and refers to the wounding of Rahab 
[Egypt] and the wounding of the 
dragon [Egyptian forces.] This took 
place when Israel passed through the 
Red Sea. Hence the reference to the 
drying of the sea, and making the 
depths thereof a way for the ransomed 
[from bondage] to pass over. Dragon 
here, then, rheans human adversaries, 
and none other. The next quotation 
we make is the following: "Nebu- 
chadnezzar the king of Babylon hath 
devoured me, he hath crushed me, he 
hath made me an empty vessel, he 
hath swallowed me up like a dragon, 
be hath filled his belly with my deli- 
cates. he hath east me out;" Jer. li. 
34. By the dragon here, it is so plain 
that Nebuchadnezzar, the enemy and 
oppressor of the Jews, is intended, 
that no remarks of our own will 
make this more apparent. We see, 
then, that as yet we have not found 
an instance in which the dragon sig- 
nified anything other than a human 
adversary or oppressor. We quote 
only one passage more : " Speak and 
say, Thus saith the Lord God ; Be- 
hold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king 
of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth 
in the midst of his rivers, which hath 
said, My river is mine own, and I 
have made it for myself;" Ezek. 
xxix. 3. This passage is too plain to 
be misunderstood. Pharaoh, king 
of Egypt, is expressly said to be the 
great dragon that lieth in the midst 



his angels were cast out with 
him. 



of his rivers. We have thus noticed 
every passage in the Bible, with the 
excepiion of the book of Revelation, 
in which the dragon is mentioned in 
the singular number. Those who 
wish to examine the places in which 
the word occurs in the plural, are 
referred to the following; Deut.xxxh. 
33; Job xxx. 29; Psa. xliv. 19; 
Ixxiv. 13; cxlviii. 7; Isa. xiii. 22; 
xxxiv. 13; xliii. 20; Jer. ix. 11; x. 
22; xiv. 6; xlix. 33; li. 37; Micah 
i. H ; Mai. i. 3. Now in none of these 
places will it be contended that the 
dragon signifies, when used meta- 
phorically, any other than human 
adversaries or oppressors. We get 
no authority, then, from the Bible, for 
supposing that the sncred writers use 
the dragon as a metaphor for a spir- 
itual, invisible, superhuman spirit, or 
adversary. Such a use of the meta- 
phor is again.st the general scrip- 
tural use. Why should we introduce 
a different rule of interpretation when 
we come to the book of Revelation ? 
We do not wonder that men have 
been unable to understand this book, 
if they have made an entirely differ- 
ent application of scriptural meta- 
phors, in interpreting it, from that 
which they have adopted in interpret- 
ing all other parts of the Bible. We 
hold that it is sound and just, in inter- 
preting the Apocalypse, to follow the 
general drift of the sacred writers in 
the application of metaphors. If we 
will not do this, but submit ourselves 
to the direction of mere prejudice or 
fancy, we must expect to go astray. 
But in respect to the dragon, we 
claim not only the general, but the 
universal authority and use of the 
sacred writers, to show that it signifies 
human enemies and oppressors. We 
have named every passage where the 
word occurs; and we cannot, we 
ought not, to depart, in applying the 
metaphor in the Apocalypse, from 
the universal scriptural use. If His 



CHAPTER XII. 



207 



10 And I heard a loud voice 
saying in heaven, Now is come 
salvation, and strength, and the 
kingdom of oar God, and the 



angels were cast out with him. — If any- 
thing more than mere imagery is 
meant here, then by the angels of 
the dragon may very naturally be 
intended his forces, — his ministers, 
— his supporters. The dragon signi- 
fied the leading, persecuting, eccle- 
siastical power of Rome ; and his 
angels were the leading men and 
emissaries who abetted that power. 

10. Now is come salvation and 
strength. — The dragon and his angels 
having been cast out, we now come 
to the hymn of the triumph of Chris- 
tianity, — the hymn of triumph l'or 
the prevalence of Christianity over 
Paganism. "Now is come salva- 
tion, and strength, and the kingdom 
of our God, and the power of his 
Christ." This is the common lan- 
guage in the New Testament to sig- 
nify the prevalence and triumph of 
gospel principles. Wherever the gos- 
pel prevailed, salvation was said to 
come. When Simeon saw the babe 
Clirist, he said : "Mine eyes have 
seen thv salvation ;' ; Lulce ii. 30. 
When Jesus entered the house of 
Zaccheus, it was said: "This day is 
salvation come to this house ;" xix. 9. 
"The kingdom of God is come unto 
you;" Matt. xii. 28 "Salvation is 
come unto the Gentiles ;" Rom. xi. 
1 1 . When the kingdom of God was 
fully established, Jesus was said to 
come with power ; Matt. xxiv. 30 ; 
for "all power was given unto him in 
heaven and on earth;" xxviii. 18; 
he had " power over all flesh ;" John 
xvii. 2. The power of Christ is 
acknowledged in this song, as the 
power of God was acknowledged, 
chap. iv. 11 ; and of Christ, ch. v. 12, 
13; xix. 1 — 6. ^[ The accuser is cast 
down. — One of the most common 
manifestations of a hostile spirit is to 
bring false accusations. The word 
diabolos, devil, signifies a false accu- 



power of his Christ; for the 
accuser of our brethren is cast 
down which accused them before 
our God day and night. 



ser, and is so translated; 2 Tim. iii. 
3 ; Titus ii. 3. How agreeable, there- 
fore, to the enemy, diabolos. to bring 
false accusations against the follow- 
ers of Christ. The Jews continually 
brought false accusations against the 
apostles, and so did the Gentile oppo- 
nents, when the gospel came to be 
preached among them. Jesus fore- 
warned his disciples of this feature 
of the opposition they would be obliged 
to meet;" Matt. v. 11, 12: "Blessed 
are ye when men shall revile you, 
and persecute you, and shall say all 
manner of evil against you falsely, 
for my sake. Rejoice and be exceed- 
ing glad ; lor great is your reward in 
heaven ; for so persecuted they the 
prophets which were before you." 
The accusation was said to be made 
before God, because it was observed 
by him ; not that the accusation Avas 
made to him, for the heathen would 
scarcely have gone to the true God, 
whom they knew not, and much less 
with an accusation against his ser- 
vants. When it was said, "The earth 
was corrupt before God," Gen. vi. II, 
the meaning was, that it was corrupt 
in his sight, and that he took special 
notice of it. Paul spake of the world 
becoming guilty before God; Rom. 
iii. 19; meaning guilty in his sight. 
So the accuser, who was cast down, 
accused the Christians falsely in the 
sight of God. The enemies were 
diaboloi, false accusers, and are called 
by that name in the preceding verse. 
Let us turn now to behold the means 
by which the conquest was obtained. 

11. Blood of the Lamb — word of 
their testimony. — Thus we see by 
what means the gospel prevailed, viz., 
by the " blood of the Lamb," which 
is explained to be " the word of their 
testimony." "The blood of Jesus 
Christ " is said to "cleanse from all 
sin 1 John i. 7 ; but blood surely 



208 



REVELATION. 



11 And they overcame him 
by the blood of the Lamb, and 
by the word of their testimony ; 

is not to be taken here in the literal 
sense. In that sense what effect 
could the blood of Christ exert to save 
men from sin? Under the Jewish 
law, without the shedding of the blood 
of animals, there was no remission of 
sin ; Heb. ix. 32 ; and from this cir- 
cumstance the New Testament wri- 
ters were led to use the blood of Christ 
as a metaphor. Jesus did not offer 
the blood of goats and calves, but his 
own blood, which is said to " purge 
our consciences from dead works to 
serve the living God ;" verses 12 — 14. 
He himself shall explain the metaphor 
of his blood. See John vi. 55, 56 : 
" For my flesh is meat indeed, and 
my blood is drink indeed. He that 
eateth my flesh, and drinketh my 
blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him." 
When the Jews heard this, they 
thought it was a hard saying. Jesus 
then asked them, "What and if ye 
shall see the Son of man ascend up 
where he was before ? " That is, if 
j r ou find it difficult to understand 
what is meant by eating my flesh 
and drinking my blood now, when 
my body is present with you, what 
will you do when my body is removed 
by my ascension into glory ? He then 
snowed them that he did not use the 
words in the literal sense, for he 
added : " It is the spirit that quicken- 
eth ; the flesh profiteth nothing ; the 
words that I speak unto you, they 
are spirit, and they are life vi. 63. 
It was not blood in the literal sense 
that gave them life, but blood stand- 
ing as an emblem of the word of God. 
And thus it is said in the verse before 
us, "They overcame him by the 
blood of the Lamb, and by the word 
of their testimony." See the notes 
on i. 5 ; v. 9 • vii. 14. *[[ And they 
loved not their lives. — This was true 
of the early Christians. It was one 
of the conditions of discipleship, that 
a man should love Christ's cause 
more than his own life ; Luke xiv. 



and they loved not their lives 
unto the death. 

12 Therefore rejoice, ye 

26. The early Christians were not 
required to throw their lives away ; 
they were to live as long as they 
could do good, and to die when the 
cause of truth required it. The word 
psuche, here translated life or lives, is 
sometimes, in the common version, 
translated soul, as in Matt. xvi. 25, 
25 : " For whosoever will save his 
life, shall lose it ; and whosoever will 
lose his life for my sake, shall find it. 
For what is a man profited, if he shall 
gain the whole world, and lose his own 
soul? or what shall a man give in 
exchange for his soul ? " Who would 
suppose that the same Greek word 
occurred in both these last quoted 
verses ? And yet it is so ; and it is 
rendered life in the former and soul 
in the latter. Does it not mean life 
in both verses, as it does in the 
passage now before us? We have 
shown, that the Christians were re- 
quired to love their lives less than 
they loved Christ's truth. If a man 
loved father, mother, brother, sister, 
son, daughter, wife, children, or even 
his own life, more than he loved 
Christ, he was not worthy of him. 
The early Christians, therefore, loved 
not their lives unto the death ; i. e., 
they ceased to love life when the 
alternative was presented them of 
apostacy or death. Christ was more 
precious to them than the preserva- 
tion of their lives. 

12. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens. — 
That is, rejoice at the triumph of 
Christianity. At the establishment of 
the kingdom of God, the heavens were 
called on by the prophets to rejoice. 
" Say among the heathen that the 
Lord reigneth : the world also shall be 
established that it shall not be moved ; 
he shall judge the people righteously. 
Let the heavens rejoice," &c. ; Psa, 
xcvi. 10, 11. Again: "Sing, O 
heavens ; and be joyful, earth ; and 
break forth into singing, moun- 
tains : for the Lord hath comforted 



CHAPTER Xn. 



209 



heavens, and ye that dwell in 
them. Woe to the inhabiters 
of the earth, and of the sea! 
for the devil is come down 
unto you, having great wrath, 
because he knoweth that he 
hath but a short time. 



his people, and will have mercvupon 
his afflicted;" Isa. xlix. 13.' This 
address to the heavens is one of the 
accustomed apostrophes of the in- 
spired writers. 1[ Woe to the inhab- 
iters of the earth — This was a pre- 
diction, not a desire. The inhabit- 
ants of the earth [or land] and sea, 
meant people of different classes. 
They were called to mourning, for 
the devil had come down unto them, 
having great wrath. % The devil. — 
And who is meant here by the devil ? 
Ans. The dragon who had been cast 
out of heaven into the earth. He 
was "the great dragon, that old ser- 
pent, called the devil and Satan." 
In the verse before us, we find him 
under the name ho diabo'os. the devil. 
John having represented the imagi- 
nary field of contest in the firmament, 
the discomfiture of the devil is repre- 
sented as his falling from his high 
place. He is ejected; he loses his 
place; he falls Idee a lost star, to the 
earth, — the earth being opposite, in 
the view of the revelntor, to the firma- 
ment. Hs had great wrath. This 
he had shown by seeking to devour 
the man-child, and also by fighting 
with Michael and his angels, in which 
contest, as we have stated, he was 
beaten, Short time. — He had but 
a short time to oppose the church ; 
the time of his overthrow was near, 
as described verse 9, which proves 
that the overthrow of the power de- 
scribed by " the dragon, that old ser- 
pent, which is the devil and Satan." 
was not far off. The final destruction 
of the dragon is treated of in chap, 
xx. i— 3, 7—10. The reader must 
examine the notes on those places ; 
also what has been said on the 9th 
IS* 



13 And when the dragon 
saw that he was cast unto the 
earth, he persecuted the woman 
which brought forth the man- 
child. 

14 And to the woman were 
given two wings of a great 



verse of this chapter. All that oppose 
the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ 
may be sure to be overthrown. The 
truth will prevail ; and all opposition, 
however strong at first, will be thrown 
down. 

13. He persecuted thercoman. — He 
raged the more fiercely, when he saw 
that he had begun to lose power, and 
that his entire overthrow was near. 
What more enrages an enemy, what 
makes him more desperate, than to 
begin to lose power ? "When, there- 
fore, the heathen power began to see 
its decline, when it saw Christianity 
working itself into the hearts of the 
people, it sought to vent its rage upon 
the church. The Son of God it could 
not persecute ; he had been caught 
up to God and to his throne, ver. 5 ; 
but the religion of Jesus and his fol- 
lowers were persecuted still. The 
heathen powers of Rome, as we all 
know, persecuted the Christian church 
alter the ascension of Jesus ; and 
continued to persecute it, until their 
influence was broken in the empire, 
and Rome pagan was transformed to 
Rome Christian. 

14. Two wings of a great eagle. — 
The facts here are a repetition of those 
stated in the 6th verse. 1st. The 
woman fled into the wilderness. 2d. 
To the place prepared for her. 3d. 
To be succored there twelve hundred 
and sixty days, or a time, times, and 
half a time, which we have showed 
mean the same thing. Compare 

| verses 6 and 14. The church was 
i faithful; she waited upon the Lord; 
and those "that wait upon the Lord 
shall renew their strength ; they shall 
mount up with wings as eagles ; and 
I they shall run and not be weary, and 



210 



REVELATION. 



eagle, that she might fly into 
the wilderness, into her place, 
where she is nourished for a 
time, and times, and half a 



they shall walk and not faint ;" Isa. 
xl. 31. This figure of the woman 
flying away into the wilderness on 
eagles' wings, is taken from the 
account of the escape of the Israelites 
from Egyptian bondage. We have 
already shown that Pharaoh had been 
described under the figure of a dragon 
by the prophets. The revelator drew 
a large number of his metaphors from 
the early history of his own nation. 
See Exod. xix. 1—4 : « In the third 
month, when the children of Israel 
were gone forth out of the land of 
Egypt, the same day came they into 
the wilderness of Sinai. For they 
were departed from Rephidim, and 
were come to the desert of Sinai, and 
had pitched in the wilderness; and 
there Israel encamped before the 
mount. And Moses went up unto 
God, and the Lord called unto him 
out of the mountain, saying, Thus 
shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, 
and tell the children of Israel 5 ye 
have seen what I did unto the Egyp- 
tians, and how I bare you on eagles' 
wings, and brought you unto myself." 
Thus was represented the escape of 
Israel from Egyptian bondage ; and 
how natural, therefore, for the reve- 
lator to describe the church when 
fleeing from persecution, as flying on 
the wings of eagles into the wilder- 
ness. Nothing is more common in 
our day than to describe deliverance 
from darkness, danger and unbelief, 
by being brought out of Egypt. The 
state of unbelief is represented by 
Egyptian darkness, in the language 
of Christians, to this time. The state 
of faith and joy is represented by the 
land of Canaan. We see, then, that 
the revelator employed, in some cases, 
metaphors which are now in familiar 
use ; but which were more striking 
in his case, as he was a Jew,, and 
addressed those who were very famil- 



time, from the face of the ser- 
pent. 

15 And the serpent cast out 
of his mouth water as a flood, 



iar with Jewish sacred history. For 
further illustrations of this verse, see 
the note on verse 6th. 

15. Serpent cast out of his mouth. — 
The metaphor is very unnatural here, 
for no serpent has power to cast a 
flood of water from his mouth. Some 
serpents (says Prof. Stuart) are said 
to eject from their mouths a poison- 
ous bile when they are enraged, in 
order to annoy their enemy. Or is the 
metaphor taken for the spouting forth 
of large quantities of water by some 
of the sea monsters? By the ser- 
pent, the dragon is doubtless intended, 
for he was " the dragon, that old ser- 
pent, which is the devil and Satan ;" 
all these terms signifying the same 
thing. Compare verses 15 and 16 
The Hebrew word translated dragon 
in the Old Testament is used with 
much latitude, and sometimes seems 
to denote a crocodile, a whale, or 
other large sea animal. The dragon, 
in John's vision, had, in the first 
place, been seen in the firmament, 
seeking to devour the child. Here he 
makes war with Michael, the imag- 
inary guardian angel of the Chris- 
tians ; is beaten, and thrown down 
from heaven to the earth. His wrath 
still continues, and rather increases, 
because, from his fall, he sees that 
his time is short. He persecutes the 
woman, and she is provided with 
remarkable means of escape, and flies 
away into the wilderness from the 
face, or presence, of the serpent. It 
is not said the serpent followed her 
into the wilderness ; the contrary 
seems to be implied. He could not 
go there ; and the woman, by going 
there, got away from his presence. 
He seems to have used his best means 
of attack, to prevent her escape, — he 
"cast out of his mouth water as a 
flood, after the woman, that he might 
cause her to be carried away of the 



CHAPTER XII. 



211 



after the woman, that he might 
cause her to be carried away of 
the flood. 

16 And the earth helped the 
woman: and the earth opened 
her mouth, and swallowed up 
the flood which the dragon cast 



flood." This figure is natural enough, 
if we suppose by the dragon was 
meant some huge sea monster : and 
the word translated dragon, as we 
hare said, certainly sometimes has 
that "application. The metaphor may 
be understood in the manner here 
denoted, or it may be understood on 
the same principle we applied to the 
fire, smoke and brimstone, coming 
oat of the horses : nostrils, or mouths, 
ix. 17, 18, and the tails, with heads j 
like serpents, 19, as mere imagery to 
represent the fearful power of the 
cavalry. If the imagery of the Apoc- 
alypse in some cases be unnatural, i 
we must look at the intent of it. If 
the serpent casting water out of his 
mouth like a flood be an unnatural 
metaphor, the intent of it is easily 
seen. It showed his continued oppo- 
sition to the woman. — his last efforts 
to destroy her. Lowman says : — 
H Floods and inundations often come 
so suddenly and with such violence, 
as to drown or carry away all things 
within their reach, and give no time 
for an escape. They are a proper- 
figure to express some great and sud- 
den danger. Xahum thus describes | 
the judgments of God, which shall 
utterly destroy his enemies : i. 8 : 
'But with an overflowing flood, he 
will make an utter end of the place 
thereof. 5 So that by this similitude 
of the serpent casting a flood out of 
his mouth, we may well understand 
some quick and smart attempts of the 
enemies of true religion to cut off all 
hope of safety for the true worship- 
pers of God, even in retirement." 

16. The earth helped the woman. — 
How ? By the power of God. He 
caused caverns to be opened to receive 



out of his mouth. 

17 And the dragon was wroth 
with the woman, and went to 
make war with the remnant of 
her seed, which keep the com- 
mandments of God, and have 
the testimony of Jesus Christ. 

the flood which the dragon cast out 
of his mouth. It was an old asiom 
among the faithful in the house of 
Israel, that "when the enemy shall 
come in like a flood, the spirit of the 
Lord shall lift up a standard against 
him;' ? Isa. lis. 19. This verse ex- 
presses the sense of the passage be- 
fore us, The enemy came in like a 
flood, and God interposed a barrier to 
his success, — he caused a cavern to 
be opened in the earth to swallow up 
the waters. 

17. Wroth with the woman. — The 
heathen power was angry that it could 
not destroy the gospel. ' It had used 
its utmost energies to do it. and had 
failed. Fdled in every attempt, it is 
not to be wondered at that the dragon 
was wroth ■ but as his opposition had 
failed to destroy the woman, and also 
the man-child who had been caught 
up to the throne of God, he "went to 
make war with the remnant of her 
seed/' And who these were, we infer 
from the description, that they were 
those which keep the command- 
ments of God, and have the testimony 
of Jesus Christ." It is certain that 
the faithful believers are here de- 
scribed. They were the objects of 
the dragon's vengeance as long as his 
power lasted. 

In the next chapter we shall find an 
account of a beast, resembling in 
some respects the dragon, but also 
differing in important particulars. 
The great red dragon appeared in 
heaven, the beast rose out of the sea. 
The former represented the Roman 
empire in its spiritual or heathen 
character, — the latter, the same em- 
pire in its civil or secular state. 



212 



REVELATION. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

A ND I stood upon the sand 
t\_ of the sea, and saw a beast 



CHAPTER XIII. 

We have contemplated, in the pre- 
ceding chapter, the Roman empire, 
in its religious or pagan character, 
under the figure of " a great red 
dragon," with seven heads, and ten 
horns, and seven crowns. In the 
chapter now to be examined, the same 
empire is set forth in its civil or 
political character, not under the fig- 
ure of a dragon, (Draron,) but under 
the figure of a beast, ( Therion.) There 
is such a similarity between the de- 
scription of the dragon and the beast, 
that they must both have reference to 
the Roman empire ; and yet is there 
such a difference in the description 
as to show that precisely the same 
thing is not in both cases intended. 

1 . I stood upon the sand of the sea. — 
That is, I took my position upon the 
sand of the sea-shore ; or I was 
placed there in order to behold the 
further revelation that was to be 
made to me. The former vision had 
been in the firmament ; this is to be 
on the sea, or to rise up out of the 
sea. % Saw a beast rise up out of the 
sea. — Now observe, there is noth- 
ing said here about " a wonder in 
heaven," as in the case of the dragon. 
The beast "rose up out of the sea," 
or as it is expressed in another place, 
the bottomless pit. or abyss; xi. 7; 
xvii. 8 ; and did not appear as a 
wonder in heaven, or a spiritual won- 
der. Waters of the sea we know are 
used in the Apocalypse to represent 
" peoples, and multitudes, and nations, 
and tongues;" xvii. 15: "And he 
saith unto me, The waters which 
thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, 
are peoples, and multitudes, and na- 
tions, and tongues." When John 
thus explains his own metaphor, we 
need look no further for the true 
sense. The beast that rose out of the 



rise up out of the sea, having 
seven heads and ten horns, and 
upon his horns ten crowns, 



sea, or the abyss, rose up from among 
the peoples, multitudes, nations and 
tongues, and doubtless was the em- 
pire in its secular form. This beast, 
like the dragon, had seven heads, 
denoting Rome, the seat of the power 
of the empire. It had also, like the 
dragon, ten horns, showing a further 
likeness. Who can doubt that the 
dragon and the beast represent the 
same power, in different characters ? 

Let us look for a moment at the 
prophetical use of the metaphor. 
What did the prophets intend by a 
beast? In Daniel's vision, chap, vii., 
we read that four great beasts [Theria 
in the lxx.] rose up out of the sea, 
i. e., rose up from among the multi- 
tudes of the people. And they were 
not like the dragon and the beast in 
Revelation, viz., much alike, but they 
were "diverse one from another;" 
ver. 3. The first was like a lion ; 
ver. 4 ; the second was like a bear ; 
ver. 5 ; the third was like a leopard ; 
ver. 6 ; and the fourth was " dreadful 
and terrible, and exceedingly strong, 
and it had ten horns," &c. ; ver. 7. 
In explaining these figures Daniel 
expressly says: "These great beasts, 
which are four, are four kings, which 
shall arise out of the earth ;" ver. 
17. Beasts, wild and ferocious in 
their character, are used to represent 
earthly kings, or kingdoms. " The 
fourth beast shall be the fourth king- 
dom upon earth, which shall be di- 
verse from all kingdoms, and shall 
devour the whole earth, and shall 
tread it down, and break it in pieces ;" 
ver. 23. This must be the Roman 
empire, for no other ever had such 
wide dominion. Hence Daniel's 
beast, like that of the Apocalypse, 
had ten horns, which he explains to 
be " ten kings that shall arise ;" ver. 
24. The four kingdoms, represented 
in the 7th of Daniel by the four 



CHAPTER XIII. 



213 



and upon his heads the name of blasphemy- 



beasts, are represented in the second 
chapter of that prophecy by the dif- 
ferent parts of the great image, the 
legs and the feet thereof being of 
iron, and representing the fourth king- 
dom, which was as strong as iron. 
But as the Roman Empire was com- 
posed of heterogeneous materials, so 
the feet of the image were in part of 
iron and part of clay, which showed 
the divisions of the kingdom, and the 
cause of its fall. Now, it was when 
the Roman Empire was in its fullest 
glory that Christ appeared to estab- 
lish his spiritual kingdom ; and Dan- 
iel therefore says : " In the days of 
these kings shall the God of heaven 
set up a kingdom, which shall never 
be destroyed : and the kingdom shall 
not be left to other people, but it shall 
break in pieces and consume all these 
kingdoms, and it shall stand for- 
ever ;" ii. 44. This kingdom, which 
the God of heaven set up, was the 
kingdom of Christ, represented not 
by a wild beast, but by the " stone 
cut out without hands," (i. e., without 
earthly aid, as Christ's spiritual king- 
dom was built up ; Heb. ix. 11 ;) and 
if the reader will compare carefully 
the 2d and 7th chapters of Daniel, he 
will see that it was the intention of 
that prophet to show, that Christianity 
was to arise in the time of the fourth 
kingdom, terrible and powerful, which 
was the Roman Empire. Then Chris- 
tianity did arise ; and without any 
manifest aid from men, it prevailed 
over all human opposition, and shall 
stand forever. 

Who, then, can entertain a doubt, 
that the beast having ten horns, in 
the Apocalypse, is the same metaphor 
with the beast having ten horns, in 
Daniel? Who can doubt that the 
author of the Apocalypse had his eye 
on Daniel's metaphor when he drew 
his own figure? ^ Seven heads. — 
By the seven heads the revelator may 
have intended the seven hills, on 
which the city of Rome (the seat of 



the imperial power) was established ; 
and he also symbolized by them seven 
particular kings, or emperors, whom 
he had in his mind. We follow not 
our own fancy in these matters, but 
the indications which were put forth 
by the revelator himself. " And here 
is the mind which hath wisdom. The 
seven heads are seven mountains, on 
which the woman sitteth. And there 
are seven kings : five are fallen, and 
one is, and the other is not yet come ; 
and when he cometh, he must con- 
tinue a short space ;" Rev. xvii. 9, 10. 

Ten horns. — A horn, as is per- 
ceived at the first thought, is the 
agent of power. All animals who 
are furnished with horns, find them 
to be their means of defence. Hence 
the horn is used as a metaphor of 
power. The dragon, mentioned in 
the preceding chapter, had seven 
heads and ten horns, the same as the 
beast before us had ; and unques- 
tionably represented the same thing 
under a different form. But on the 
presumption that the dragon signified 
an invisible, intangible, spiritual ad- 
versary, commonly called the devil, 
what do his seven heads and ten 
horns mean ? Is it proper to suppose 
that the seven heads and ten horns 
of the dragon signify certain things, 
and the seven heads and ten horns 
of the beast things entirely different ? 
Prof. Stuart supposes the beast, with 
his seven heads and ten horns, to 
signify the Roman Empire ; but the 
dragon, with the same number of 
heads and horns, he interprets to 
mean the devil, after the form of his 
own creed. That sound writer was 
sadly hampered, in his interpretation 
of the book of Revelation, by his 
creed ; and we are not to wonder at 
this, since he is obliged, once in five 
years, to give a renewed affirmation 
of his belief in it. By the ten horns 
of the beast we think were intended 
ten kings. See the following : " And 
the ten horns which thou sawest 



214 



REVELATION. 



2 And the beast which I saw 
was like unto a leopard, and his 

are ten Icings, which have received 
no kingdom as yet ; but receive 
power as kings one hour with the 
beast j" Rev. xvii. 12. This is fur- 
ther confirmed by the fact, that upon 
each horn was a crown ; as though 
the revelator wished to say, these 
horns represent kings. ^[ And upon 
his heads the name of blasphemy. — 
The idea seems to be, that each head 
bore a frontlet, on which was in- 
scribed a blasphemous title, i. e., an 
honorary name for the emperors, as 
if he had said, a name which dero- 
gated from the honor and glory of the 
true God. The source of the imagery 
here is probably to be sought for in 
the custom of persons who held dis- 
tinguished offices having some name, 
significant of office, rank or duty, 
engraved upon the frontlets of their 
mitres or diadems. In the Apoca- 
lypse the promise is repeatedly given, 
that faithful Christians shall he made 
kings and priests to God; they were 
to have a white stone, and in the 
stone a new name written, &cc. ; Rev. 
ii. 17; that is, they were to be fur- 
nished with a diadem, such as kings 
and priests are wont to wear. It is 
certain that the statues of the Roman 
emperors had inscriptions on them 
that belong only to God. Divine 
honors were paid to them, and espe- 
cially after their death. From facts 
like these, the beast is represented as 
having some blasphemous title on each 
of his heads. — (Stuart on xiii. 1.) 

2. Like unto a leopard, &c — Here 
again is a proof that the revelator 
drew his figure from Daniel ; for 
Daniel's four beasts were, first, a 
lion; second, a bear; third, a leop- 
ard ; and the fourth, a sort of inde- 
scribable animal, partaking of the 
qualities of all. And hence the reve- 
lator says, that the beast he saw rise 
from the sea, (Daniel's beasts all rose 
from the sea ; vii. 3, 4,) was like unto 
a leopard, a bear, and a lion. He 



feet were as the feet of a bear, 
and his mouth as the mouth of a 

seemed to combine the strength and 
ferocity of all. The leopard has great 
agility ; the bear's strength is in his 
feet and legs ; the lion's is in his 
mouth ; and well said Daniel, there- 
fore, that the " fourth beast was 
dreadful and terrible, and strong ex- 
ceedingly, and it had great iron tetth 
vii. 7; or, "the mouth of a lion.' 7 
There will be no longer any dispute, 
that the fourth beast in Daniel's vis- 
ion is the beast of the Apocalypse ; 
and as Daniel's fourth beast arose at 
the time of the establishment of Chris- 
tianity, vii. 13, 14, 22—27, and asihe 
Eoman Empire was then in its high- 
est and most glorious condition, there 
can be no doubt that the beast of the 
Apocalypse represents the Eoman 
Empire in its secular power. ^[ The 
dragon gave him his power. &cc. — In 
what sense did the dragon, or the 
priestly pagan influence, give power 
to the beast, the secular authority ? 
It is a fact too notorious to be for one 
moment denied, that false spiritual 
teachers have always given strength 
to those secular rulers, however cor- 
rupt, who winked at their iniquities 
and interfered not with their designs. 
In the history of the Jews this fact is 
distinctly seen. The false priests 
exerted their power to keep the people 
in subjection to bad rulers. "A 
wonderful and horrible thing is com- 
mitted in the land ; the prophets 
prophesy falsely, and the priests bear 
rule by their means ; and my j.eople 
love to have it so ; and what will ye 
do in the end thereof?" Jer. v. 30, 
31. The prophets uttered lies, and 
the priests ruled the people, indirectly 
perhaps, and the people were so 
infatuated and deceived that they 
loved the oppression. The manner 
in which the iniquity of priests served 
to sustain the wickedness of secular 
rulers, is set forth by Micah, iii. 10 — 
12, as follows : " They build up 
Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with 



CHAPTER XIII. 



215 



lien : and the dragon gave him 
his power, and his seat, and 
great authority. 

3 And I saw one of his heads 



iniquity. The heads thereof judge 
for reward, and the priests thereof 
teach for hire, and the prophets 
thereof divine for money : yet will 
they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is 
not the Lord among us? none evil 
can come upon us. Therefore shall 
Zion for your sake be ploughed as a 
field, and Jerusalem shall become 
heaps, and the mountain of the house 
as the high places of the forest." 
That corrupt governments have been 
sustained by false doctrines, promul- 
gated by priests and philosophers, is 
acknowledged by credible historians. 
Polybius, for instance, an ancient 
Greek historian, tells us plainly that 
" since the multitude is ever fickle 
and capricious, full of lawless pas- 
sions and irrational and violent re- 
sentments, there is no way left to 
keep them in order, but by the terrors 
of future punishment and all the 
pompous circumstance that attends 
such kind of fiction. On which 
account, the ancients acted, in my 
opinion, with great judgment and 
penetration, when they contrived to 
bring in those notions of the gods and 
a future state into the popular belief." 
Strabo, another Greek writer, speaks 
to the same purpose. " It is impos- 
sible," he says, "to govern women, 
and the gross body of the people, and 
to keep them pious, holy and vir- 
tuous, by the precepts of philosophy : 
this can only be done by the fear of 
the gods, which is raised and sup- 
ported by ancient fictions and modern 
prodigies." He tells us further, that 
the "apparatus of the ancient my- 
thologies" was <•' an engine which the 
legislators employed as bugbears to 
strike a terror into the childish imag- 
ination of the multitude." See the 
work of Rev. Thos. J. Sawyer, enti- 
tled, " Endless Punishment, its Origin 
and Grounds Examined," p. 22. The 



as it were wounded to death : 
and his deadly wound was 
healed ; and all the world won- 
dered after the beast. 



priestly pagan power of Rome sus- 
tained the secular arm, by means of 
the false doctrines, the awful rites, 
the terrible mysteries ; and in this 
way, if in no other, " the dragon gave 
the beast his power, and his seat, 
and great authority" over the people. 
Such a construction of this passage is 
consistent with fact, and makes unity. 
No man can fail to see that the 
Roman power is intended both by the 
dragon (chap, xii.) and the beast, 
(chap, xiii.,) with some circumstances 
of dissimilarity. The pagan power 
of the empire is put first, because it 
rose up first against Christianity ; and 
the support which the pagan power 
gave the secular is described in the 
verse before us. 

3. One of his /teach as it were wounded 
to death. — The beast, we have seen, 
had seven heads, ver. 1. The same 
was true of the dragon ; xii. 3. One 
of the heads of the beast was wounded 
to death, a hyperbole, perhaps, for a 
very severe wound. This undoubt- 
edly describes some calamity that fell 
upon the government of the empire, 
in one of its sections, which was 
afterwards repaired. One of the 
heads was severely wounded and 
afterwards healed. If these seven 
heads represent seven kings, (as we 
should be led to think from chap, 
xvii. 10,) then the wounding of one 
of the heads would refer to some 
calamity of one of these kings, which 
he subsequently recovered from. That 
it was some disaster suffered by vio- 
lence, is apparent from verse 14, 
where the wound is said to have been 
made " by a sword." ^[ All the world 
wondered. — The Roman government 
was undoubtedly a wonder to all the 
world. " And they that dwell on the 
earth shall wonder, whose names 
were not written in the book of life 
from the foundation of the world, 



216 



REVELATION. 



4 And they worshipped the 
dragon which gave power unto 
the beast : and they worshipped 

when they behold the beast that was, 
and is not, and yet is ;" Rev. xvii. 8. 
Whether the wonder was excited at 
the greatness of the empire, its mar- 
vellous progress, or whether it arose 
from the condition of the beast that 
was, and is not, and yet is, is some- 
what doubtful. The empire itself 
was doubtless the wonder of all the 
world. 

4. Worshipped the dragon. — The 
dragon was worshipped; that is to 
say, the people reverenced the power 
represented by him. ^[ Worshipped 
the beast. — They reverenced also the 
power represented by the beast. Both 
powers were the objects of adoration ; 
but the beast was the warlike power ; 
not like the dragon, in a spiritual 
contest ; but Rome secular had im- 
mense armies at her command. 
IT Who is like unto the beast ? — Well 
might the wondering multitude say, 
" Who is like unto the beast ? who is 
able to make war with him?" But 
after all, the confidence in the power 
of the empire was too great, for great 
as the empire was, it did finally fall. 
And w r e read in the chapter we are 
considering, that one of the heads of 
the beast was " wounded to death," 
ver. 3, "by a sword," ver. 14 5 and 
we are told (ver. 10) that " he that 
leadeth into captivity shall go into 
captivity : he that killeth with the 
sword must be killed with the sword." 
Rome, with its terrible arm, was not 
unconquerable. There was a time, 
however, when she appeared to be so. 
Within the space of a little more than 
a hundred years, she made herself 
the mistress of the world. Her do- 
minion extended from the islands 
of the Atlantic on the west, to the. 
river Euphrates on the east, and 
from the Mediterranean on the south, 
almost indefinitely towards the north 
pole ; at least, so as to include all 
civilized countries. She embraced 
all that part of Europe and Asia 



the beast, saying, Who is like 
unto the beast ? who is able to 
make war with him ? 

which was famous for letters and the 
arts ; and may, therefore, be said to 
have swayed the world. She was 
preeminent in the art of war. The 
ablest generals were in her service ; 
and if she had not the largest armies 
at her command, she had those that 
were sufficiently numerous, and that 
for a long time contended success- 
fully with the armies of all other 
parts of the world. Can we be sur- 
prised, then, that " all the world won- 
dered after the beast " ? and said, 
" Who is like unto the beast ? Who is 
able to make war with him" ? A 
clear distinction, it seems to us, is 
observable between the beast and the 
dragon, although they are alike in 
certain very essential particulars. 
The world does not say, "Who is like 
unto the dragon ? who is able to make 
war with the dragon ? The dragon 
represented the spiritual, not the 
sword-bearing, power. The dragon 
did not make war as the beast did. 
The contest which the dragon and 
his angels carried on was not on 
earth, but was seen in the air, among 
the stars. It was metaphorical, or 
spiritual. It was with Michael and 
his angels, the imaginary guardians 
of the faithful Christians. The dragon 
was worsted, and was thrown down 
from the height of his power. Chris- 
tianity gained the ascendency in the 
empire. We see, then, a plain dis- 
tinction between the dragon and the 
beast ; the former, it would seem, 
referred to the spiritual power, or 
heathenism; the latter represented 
the secular power of the state. 

5. A mouth speaking great things 
and blasphemies. — The phraseology of 
Daniel is preserved all along in this 
chapter. This " mouth speaking great 
things and blasphemies" is a method 
of speech borrowed from that prophet. 
See Dan. vii. 8: "I considered the 
horns, and behold, there came up 
among them another little horn, before 



CHAPTER XIII. 



217 



5 And there was given unto 
him a month speaking great 
things and blasphemies ; and 

whom there were three of the first 
horns plucked up by the roots : and 
behold, in this horn were eyes like 
the eyes of a man, and a mouth speak- 
ing great things." — Also verse 11, "I 
beheld then because of the voice of 
the great words which the horn spake : 
I beheld even till the beast was slain, 
and his body destroyed, and given 
to the burning flame." And again, 
verse 25: "And he shall speak great 
words against the Most High, and 
shall wear out the saints of the Most 
High, and think to change times and 
laws." Daniel, like the revelator, was 
speaking of the Roman empire un- 
der the figure of a beast ; and the rev- 
elator evidently quotes the prophet's 
language. Did not the Roman rulers 
utter great things against the Most 
High ? Did not the beast have upon 
his heads the name of blasphemy? 

Forty and two months. — This beast 
was to continue forty and two months. 
Many speculations, very wise, we 
have no doubt, in the opinions of their 
authors, have been offered in regard 
to the time intended by this phrase. 
We have already stated, that, in our 
judgment, it was a mere metaphor of 
time, to signify the season of the 
church's depression, and of the exulta- 
tion of her enemies. It is far from 
being certain that the various phrases, 
" a time, and times, and dividing of 
time," Dan. vii. 25; "a time, times, 
and a half," xii. 7 ; Rev. xii. 14 ; 
" forty and two months," Rev. xi. 2 ; 
xiii. 5; and "twelve hundred and 
sixty days," Rev. xi. 3 ; xii. 6 ; all 
signify the same time, or even the 
same length of time. The expression 
originated with Daniel, and was used 
by him (vii. 25) to signify the sea- 
son of the predominance of the oppos- 
ing power against the saints of the 
Most High. Now, let the reader take 
a hint from this fact. The time, 
times, and half a time, is the season 
of the depression of the saints and the 



power was given unto him to 
continue forty and two months. 
6 And he opened his mouth 

power of their enemies, whether it 
may have been longer or shorter. 
The revelator, who will be found a 
most obsequious imitator of Daniel 
in his metaphors, quotes the method 
of speech from him. But the revela- 
tor, preserving the general idea, still 
varies his phraseology, and uses " for- 
ty and two months" and " twelve hun- 
dred and sixty days," which evidently 
enough are of similar force and inter- 
pretation with the time, times, and 
half a time, or year, years, and half a 
year. One year, two years, and a 
half of a year, are exactly forty-two 
months, and forty-two months of thirty 
days each, (as the Jews reckoned,) are 
just twelve hundred and sixty days. 
And when Daniel says, at the close of 
his prophecy, " Blessed is he that wait- 
eth and cometh to the thousandj three 
hundred and five and thirty days," 
the meaning is, Blessed is he that 
liveth to the days beyond the season 
of the prostration of the saints. In 
respect to the destruction of the Jews, 
the Christians were assured " the day 
of the Lord should come as a thief in 
the night ;" 1 Thess. v. 1, 2. The ear- 
ly Christians were prohibited from 
inquiring too particularly into those 
matters. " It is not for you to know 
the times or the seasons which the 
Father hath put in his own power 
Acts i. 7. The precise day and hour 
of Christ's coming they were not to 
know, but they were to keep always 
ready for it, for it should surely come 
in that generation, and to many it 
would come unexpectedly, like " a 
thief in the night." This was all the 
Christians were to know in regard to 
the time. It is manifestly certain, 
then, that none of the sacred writers 
meant to foretell the exact number 
of days. 

6. Blasphemy against God. — Rome 
blasphemed God. Hence we read 
that upon the seven heads of the beast 
was "the name of blasphemy," verse 



218 



REVELATION. 



in blasphemy against God, to 
blaspheme his name, and his 
tabernacle, and them that dwell 
in heaven. 

7 And it was given unto him 



1, and that he had "a mouth speak- 
ing great things and blasphemies," 
verse 5. Rome blasphemed the name 
of God, and his tabernacle, and those 
that dwelt therein, or in heaven, which 
means the same thing. The taber- 
nacle of God was with men ; and they 
who were brought to know, and love, 
and serve him, dwelt in his taber- 
nacle, or in heaven. Hence Paul 
said to the Hebrew Christians, "Ye 
are come unto Mount Sion, and unto 
the city of the living God, the heaven- 
ly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable 
company of angels," &c; xii. 22. By 
those who " dwelt in heaven," is 
meant those who have entered the 
spiritual kingdom of Jesus Christ. 
We have no doubt that the early 
Christians were obliged to endure all 
manner of reproaches and blasphe- 
mies. Some of the Roman emperors 
arrogated to themselves honors, and 
were called by names, which belonged 
to God alone. In this way they blas- 
phemed God. 

7. Make war with the saints, and 
overcome them. — He was permitted to 
make war with the saints ; he was 
permitted to overcome them. It was 
allowed for wise and holy purposes. 
The language above quoted is the 
language of Daniel, which he used in 
regard to the Roman beast. " I be- 
held, and the same horn made war 
with the saints, and prevailed against 
them ;" vii; 21. But he prevailed 
against them only for a time; and 
during that time his power was very 
wide; it extended over "all kindreds, 
and tongues, and nations." See Rev. 
xi. 7 ; xii. 17. In the sequel he was 
to fall. His triumph could not be 
long. The revelator says, in a sub- 
sequent passage, "And I saw the 
beast, and the kings of the earth, and 
their armies, gathered together to 



to make war with the saints, and 
to overcome them : and power 
was given him over all kindreds, 
and tongues, and nations. 

8 And all that dwell upon 



make war against him that sat on the 
horse, and against his army. And 
the beast was taken, and with him the 
false prophet that wrought miracles 
before him, with which he deceived 
them that had received the mark of 
the beast, and them that worshipped 
his image. These both were cast 
alive into a lake of fire burning with 
brimstone. And the remnant were 
slain with the sword of him that sat 
upon the horse, which sword proceeded 
out of his mouth : and all the fowls 
were filled with their flesh;" xix. 
19 — 21. This was the final overthrow 
of the beast. It was not permitted 
that he should always make war upon 
the church. 

8. All that dwell upon the earth shall 
worship him. — This is but a reitera- 
tion of the fact stated in verses 3 and 
4. But during this very general de- 
votion to the power of Rome, both in 
religion and government, there were 
some who did not join in it, viz., 
those whose names are "written in 
the book of life of the Lamb." We 
have already expressed our opinion 
of the phrase "book of life," in the 
notes on Rev. iii. 5, to which we re- 
fer. A few additional particulars are 
here added. It was an ancient cus- 
tom to speak of the names of the 
faithful as being written in a book ; 
and when one was ejected, or cut off, 
his name was said to be blotted out. 
See Exod. xxxii. 31—33 : " And Mo- 
ses returned unto the Lord, and said, 
Oh, this people have sinned a great 
sin, and have made them gods of gold. 
Yet now, if thou wilt, forgive their 
sin : and if not, blot me, I pray thee, 
out of thy book which thou hast writ- 
ten. And the Lord said unto Moses, 
Whosoever hath sinned against me, 
him will I blot out of my book." 
Book is used metaphorically for re- 



CHAPTER XIII. 



219 



the earth shall worship him, 
whose names are not written in 



membrance. See Psa. lvi. 8 : " Thou 
tellest my wanderings : put thou my 
tears into thy bottle : are they not in 
thy book?" or remembrance. See 
also Mai. iii. 16 : " Then they that 
feared the Lord spake often one to 
another : and the Lord hearkened, 
and heard it : and a book of remem- 
brance was written before him for 
them that feared the Lord, and that 
thought upon his name." The figure 
occurs also in Daniel, from which 
the revelator borrows so frequently : 
u There shall be a time of trouble, 
such as never was since there was a 
nation even to that same time : and 
at that time thy people shall be de- 
livered, every one that shall be found 
written in the book;" xii. 1. From 
Phil. iv. 3, (and this is the only place 
in which the phrase " book of life" 
occurs, except in the Apocalypse,) 
we should conclude it meant the roll 
of Christian believers. To blot one's 
name out of the book of life, was to 
consider him no longer as a faithful 
disciple, but to set him apart from the 
true and the good. The names of the 
faithful are written in the book of life, 
the roll of those who enjoy eternal 
life ; the names of the unfaithful are 
not there. If a Christian fall away, 
his name having been there, is said 
to be blotted out. Such is the general 
tenor of the language used about the 
book of life ; the whole is metaphori- 
cal. Lamb, slain from the foundation 
of the world. — By the Lamb is un- 
questionably meant Jesus, who is so 
often mentioned in the Apocalypse un- 
der that figure ; and he is said to have 
been slain "from the foundation of 
the world," either because his death 
took place at the very beginning of 
the gospel dispensation, — or, what is 
more probable, because that sacrifice 
was determined in the mind of God 
from the beginning of the world, (kos- 
mos,) Rev. xiii. 8, or, in the ages of 
old, (chronois aioniois,) Rom. xvi. 25. 



the book of life of the Lamb slain 
from the foundation of the world. 



A comparison of all the passages in 
which this phrase occurs would seem 
to show, that it signifies past time in- 
definitely, as if we should say, " be- 
fore all time," or, " from all past 
time," or from the ages of old, as in 
Rom. xvi. 25, referred to above. The 
truths of the gospel had remained a 
mystery, or been kept secret from the 
foundation of the world, or all past 
time; Matt. xiii. 35 : the kingdom had 
been prepared for the believers from 
the foundation of the world, or all past 
time ; Matt. xxv. 34 : the blood of all 
the prophets shed from the foundation 
of the w T orld was to be required of 
that generation of the Jews which 
slew Christ ; Luke xi. 50 ; i. e., the 
blood of all that had been slain ; for 
Matthew has it, " all the righteous 
blood shed upon the earth, from the 
blood of righteous Abel, unto the blood 
of Zacharias, son of Barachias, whom 
ye slew between the temple and the 
altar ;" Matt, xxiii. 35 : Jesus was 
loved of the Father before the foun- 
dation of the world ; John xvii. 24 : 
and believers were chosen in him be- 
fore the foundation of the world ; Eph. 
i. 4 ; that is, before time begun, in 
the eternal councils of the Father. In 
Heb. iv. 3, the works of God, at the 
creation, are said to have been from 
the foundation of the world : and if it 
had been necessary for Christ, like 
the high priest, to have been sacri- 
ficed every year, then must he often 
have suffered since the foundation of 
the world, Heb. ix. 26, or from the 
beginning. Christ was a Lamb, with- 
out spot or blemish, preordained be- 
fore the foundation of the world, i. e., 
before all time, in the eternal councils 
of the Father ; 1 Pet. i. 20 ; and this is 
the precise phraseology employed in 
the Apocalypse, and which Peter 
seems almost to have quoted from it ; 
Rev. xiii. 8. See, also, xvii. 8. These 
are all the passages in the New Tes- 
tament in which the phrase apo or 



220 



REVELATION. 



9 If any man have an ear, 
let him hear. 

10 He that leadeth into cap- 
tivity shall go into captivity : 
he that killeth with the sword, 
must be killed with the sword. 



pro kataboles kosmou occurs . The word 
katabole (foundation) occurs in one 
other connection only, Heb. xi. 11. 

9. If any man have an ear. — This 
denotes the importance of the com- 
munication to all. It is of similar 
import with the words of the poet : 

"Let every mortal ear attend." 

As the art of printing was not then 
known, and few persons could obtain 
the manuscript books in existence, 
the greater part were obliged to listen 
to the reading of others. The words 
will bear the construction, " If any 
man have an inclination to listen, let 
him hear." A "heart to perceive" 
is a heart able and willing to per- 
ceive; "eyes to see" are eyes ready 
and willing to see; and "ears to 
hear" are ears open and inclined to 
hear; Deut. xxix. 4. In some the 
heart is fat and the ears heavy ; Isa. 
vi. 10; and they "turn away their 
ears from the truth;" 2 Tim. iv. 4; 
Acts vii. 57. See the notes on Rev. 
ii. 7, 11. The words in the case be- 
fore us may refer to what precedes, 
or what follows, or both. 

10. Must be killed with the sword. — 
Suffering as the Christians did under 
the cruelty of the Romans, it be- 
came necessary to give them the as- 
surance, that however powerful their 
enemies then were, a change was 
near. The conquerors of all the world 
should themselves at last be conquered. 
The successful warriors should be 
overcome. Jesus had said, " All they 
that take the sword shall perish with 
the sword;" Matt. xxvi. 52; they 
incur the great risk of perishing in 
that manner. . But some writers think 
that something more definite than this 
is intended in the passage before us. 
Professor Stuart, for instance, says : 



Here is the patience and the 
faith of the saints. 

11 And I beheld another 
beast coming up out of the earth, 
and he had two horns like a 
lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 

" There is, in this whole passage, a 
most palpable allusion to Nero ;" and 
it has more life and energy when we 
suppose him to have been still living. 
The writer foretells what must inevi- 
tably be the doom of such a tyrant. 
In faet, Nero exiled himself from 
Rome, and intended to make his es- 
cape into distant countries, but he 
was arrested in his retreat, and fell 
by his own sword, or by that of his 
assailants. ^[ Here is the patience and 
faith of the saints — i. e., the ground 
or cause of their patience and faith. 
Had it not been for this assurance,, 
they would have sunk under their 
sufferings perhaps ; but knowing that 
their tribulations were not always to 
continue, their patience and their faith 
were preserved. See Heb. vi. 12. 

11. Another beast. — This is theri- 
on, a spiteful, cruel animal, like the 
first beast, and not like the zoa, the 
four beasts, or living creatures, round 
about the throne. And here follows 
another distinction. This is not a 
beast with seven heads and ten horns ; 
but he has "two horns like a lamb." 
He has a very mild and amiable as- 
pect ; but there is murder in his heart. 
He has some affinity to the fire- 
colored dragon. He spake as a dragon. 
And he had also some affinity to the 
beast, and is truly called another 
beast. But we shall learn more of 
him as we proceed. It is particularly 
to be observed, notwithstanding his 
outward lamb-like appearance, that 
his communications were manifestly 
dragon-like. He spoke for the dragon, 
to aid his cause, as well as that of the 
seven-headed beast. He came up out 
of the earth. The dragon was first 
seen in heaven, xii. 3 ; i. e., in the 
firmament ; but he was out of his 
place ; he had no business there ; and 



CHAPTER XIII. 



221 



12 And he exerciseth all the 
lower of the first beast before 
dm, and causeth the earth and 



was cast down to the earth, xii. 9 ; i. e., 
he was thrown down from his high 
place of power. The seven-headed 
beast rose up out of the sea, xiii. 1, 
but the two-horned beast rose up out 
of the earth. They all had an earth- 
ly origin ; they all belonged beneath ; 
but for the sake of variety in the 
scenery, one is said to rise from the 
sea, the other from the land. 

12. Exerciseth all the power of the 
first beast. — He was a very success- 
ful auxiliary to the first beast, and 
made use of his power; i. e., the pow- 
er of the empire was prostituted to aid 
him. These two powers were mutual 
friends. They aided each other. They 
had similar, if not identical, interests. 
The two-horned beast held a kind of 
half-way relation between the dragon 
and the seven-headed beast. They 
were all three joined in this one enter- 
prise, opposition to Christianity. The 
dragon strove to uphold the seven- 
headed beast, — i. e., the heathen in- 
fluence exerted itself to sustain the 
imperial power. The dragon and 
the last named beast represented the 
heathen and the secular power of 
Rome ; and the two-horned beast, so 
like a lamb in appearance, and like 
a dragon in his soul, may well repre- 
sent those apparently lamb-like priests 
and false prophets, who, by their in- 
fluence over the people, sustained both 
the heathen and secular power, To 
worship the first beast. — He shared 
with the first beast all the unsubstan- 
tial glory of his prosperity, and went 
down with him to destruction, as we 
shall have occasion to show. He was 
the same that was called "the false 
prophet," xvi. 13, of whom it was said : 
'•'And the beast was taken, and with 
him the false prophet that wrought 
miracles before him, with which he 
deceived them that had received the 
mark of the beast, and them that wor- 
shipped his image. These both were 
19* 



them which dwell therein to 
worship the first beast, whose 
deadly wound was healed. 



cast alive into a lake of fire burning 
with brimstone ;" xix. 20. He is here 
called a false prophet, a deceiver, a 
foreteller of future events, a diviner, 
an oracle, &c. Does not this have 
reference to the heathen priests ? And 
again : " And the devil [or dragon, for 
in this connection they mean the same 
power] that deceived them was cast 
into the lake of fire and brimstone, 
where the beast and the false prophet 
are, and shall be tormented day and 
night forever and ever;" xx. 10. 
These quotations let us somewhat 
into the history of this second beast, 
who was so much like the lamb in 
appearance, so much like the dragon 
in nature. But we will proceed : we 
shall become better acquainted with 
him. 

13. He doeth great wonders. — That is, 
he affected to perform miracles ; and 
among other things, he appeared to 
make fire come down from heaven to 
earth in the sight of men. False 
prophets have often professed to have 
the power to perform miracles ; and 
have been able, at times, to do their 
works with so much adroitness as to 
deceive mankind, and evert very in- 
telligent men. That God may per- 
form a real miracle, no man in his 
senses can doubt. He who framed 
all the laws of nature, can, if neces- 
sary, suspend them. He might also 
empower any chosen servant of his to 
do the same thing ; but no man of him- 
self can perform a miracle. There is 
no law of God by which any man can 
perform a miracle ; nor can any man 
have that power, except by the special 
communication of it to him by God. 
Miracles are departures from the 
course of nature, and are of course 
beyond the power of man. "When 
men, therefore, actually perform mir- 
acles, it is a proof that God is with 
them ; that they are his servants ; that 
he wishes them accredited as such ; 



222 



REVELATION. 



13 And he doeth great wo-n- 



and for that purpose he bestows a 
portion of his wondrous power upon 
them. Such being the definition and 
basis of true miracles, it is not to be 
wondered at that false prophets and 
pretenders should seek to imitate them. 
It is precisely what we should expect 
they would do ; it is what they have 
done from the earliest antiquity. God 
bestowed on Moses, his servant and 
representative on earth, divine power, 
by which he performed miracles in 
attestation of his claims. See the fol- 
lowing passage : " And Moses an- 
swered and said, But, behold, they 
will not believe me, nor hearken unto 
my voice : for they will say, The Lord 
hath not appeared unto thee. And 
the Lord said unto him, What is that 
in thy hand? And he said, A rod. 
And he said, Cast it on the ground. 
And he cast it on the ground, and it 
became a serpent : and Moses fled 
from before it. And the Lord said 
unto Moses, Put forth thy hand, and 
take it by the tail. And he put forth 
his hand, and caught it, and it became 
a rod in his hand : that they may 
believe that the Lord God of their 
fathers, the God of Abraham, the God 
of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath 
appeared unto thee. And the Lord 
said furthermore unto him, Put now 
thy hand into thy bosom. And he 
put his hand into his bosom : and 
when he took it out, behold, his hand 
was leprous as snow. And he said, 
Put thy hand into thy bosom again. 
And he put his hand into his bosom 
again , and plucked it out of his bosom, 
and behold, it was turned again as 
his other flesh. And it shall come to 
pass, if they will not believe thee, 
neither hearken to the voice of the 
first sign, that they will believe the 
voice of the latter sign ;" Exodus iv. 
1 — 8. This covers all the ground we 
have here taken in regard to miracles. 
God has the power to suspend the 
laws of nature; he can create and 
destroy ; he can communicate this 
power to others ; he can work in and 



ders, so that he maketh fire 



by them ; and if it be necessary for a 
man, in an age of great bigotry and 
unbelief, to be received as a divinely 
appointed messenger, is it not per- 
fectly reasonable to believe that God 
would clothe him with power by which 
he could attest his claims in the 
presence of all unbelievers ? It is also 
reasonable to suppose that impostors 
would seek to keep themselves in 
countenance by attempting the per- 
formance of miracles themselves. 
True, they cannot perform miracles, 
because no man ever did perform 
them except he had received power 
of God for that special purpose ; and 
it is not to be believed that God would 
bestow such power upon an impostor. 
But why should an impostor desire to 
perform miracles ? or to lead mankind 
to believe that he performed them ? 
The only answer that can be given to 
this question is this : he wishes not to 
be regarded as an impostor, but as a 
true servant of God. Have not the 
true servants of God, then, in differ- 
ent ages, had the power to perform 
actual miracles ? If they have, we 
can see plainly why false prophets 
should desire to be thought able to 
perform miracles ; but if they have 
not, then there is no reason for such 
a desire on the part of false prophets, 
since even the real performance of a 
miracle, if they had power to do it, 
would add nothing to their claims. 
The existence of false, or pretended 
miracles, therefore, is a proof of 
genuine miracles, as the existence of 
false coin is a proof of the existence 
of genuine coin. Would there ever 
have been any counterfeit money, if 
there never had been any that was 
genuine ? It was not long after Mo- 
ses was empowered of God to perform 
miracles in attestation of his appoint- 
ment as the servant of God, that the 
Egyptian sorcerers and magicians at- 
tempted the performance of the same 
things. They had the appearance of 
turning ther rods into serpents like 
Moses. Now, unless Moses was him- 



CHAPTER XIII. 



223 



come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men 



self a deceiver, he wrought a real mira- 
cle ; but this the magicians of Pharaoh 
could not have done ; though they 
might have thrown serpents from be- 
neath the folds of their garments in 
such a manner, as to give the appear- 
ance of having changed their rods into 
those animals. Not only the Egyp- 
tians, but also the children of Israel 
were commanded to believe on Mo- 
ses, not on account of his private char- 
acter, but on account of the miracles 
which he performed; Num. xiv. 22; 
Deut. xi. 1 — 8 ; Judges vi. 13. These 
miracles were not only such as we 
have already described, but various 
other wonderful works, such as lead- 
ing the children of Israel through the 
Red Sea, feeding them forty years in 
the wilderness with miraculous man- 
na ; smiting the barren rock, and 
bringing out water for their drink, 
&c. &c. Now these facts were such 
as men's outward senses, their eyes 
and ears, were judges of. They were 
done publicly in the face of the world. 
Public monuments have been kept 
up, and outward actions have been 
performed in commemoration of them. 
These monuments and actions have 
existed from the time the acts were 
done. Imposition, in these cases, 
therefore, is impossible. — (Leslie.) 
Could Moses have persuaded hun- 
dreds of thousands of men that he 
had done these things, led them across 
the bed of the Red Sea, on dry land, 
and fed them with manna, &c. &c, 
if he had done no such thing ? Could 
he have thus imposed upon their 
senses ? The thing was impossible. 
Could he have made them receive 
his five books as true, which told of 
these things, if they had known that 
such things had not been done ? See 
how positively he speaks to them, 
Deut. xi. 2—8. Could Moses have 
persuaded the Jews to believe that 
they themselves had seen these things, 
if they never had seen them ? Shall 
we say then that the books purporting 
to be the books of Moses were written 



some ages after his day, and were put 
forth in his name ? If so, there must 
have been a time when they were in- 
vented and first put forth. But this 
supposition is incredible, as they pro- 
fess to have been put forth by Moses, 
" And it came to pass, when Moses 
had made an end of writing the words 
of this law in a book, until they were 
finished, that Moses commanded the 
Levites which bare the ark of the 
covenant of the Lord, saying : Take 
this book of the law, and put it in the 
side of the ark of the covenant of the 
Lord your God, that it may be there 
for a witness against thee ;" Deut. 
xxxi.24 — 26. A copy of this work 
was also to be given to the king, that 
he might study it and live by it. 
" And it shall be when he sitteth upon 
the throne of his kingdom, that he 
shall write him a copy of this law in 
a book out of that which is before the 
priests the Levites. And it shall be 
with him, and he shall read therein 
all the days of his life : that he may 
learn to fear the Lord his God, to keep 
all the words of this law and these 
statutes, to do them;" Deut. xvii. 18, 
19. Now, in whatever after age the 
book may be supposed to have been 
forged, it would have been impossible 
to have made the people receive it as 
truth ; because, on that supposition, it 
would not have been found in the ark, 
or with the king, or anywhere else. 
For, when first invented, it must have 
been known by all, that it never had 
been heard of before. Leslie asks, 
(and we have copied this argument 
from him,) " Could any man now, at 
this day, invent a book of statutes or 
acts of parliament for England, and 
make it pass upon the nation as the 
only book of statutes that ever they 
had known? As impossible was it 
for the books of Moses (if they were 
invented in any age after Moses) to 
have been received for what they de- 
clared themselves to be, viz., the stat- 
utes and municipal law of the nation 
of the Jews ; and to have persuaded 



REVELATION. 



14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means 



the Jews that they had owned and 
acknowledged these books all along, 
from the days of Moses to that day in 
which they were first invented ; that 
is, that they had owned them before 
they had ever so much as heard of 
them. Nay, more, the whole nation 
must, in an instant, forget their for- 
mer laws and government, if they 
could receive these books as being 
their former laws. And they could 
not otherwise receive them, because 
they vouched themselves so to be. 
Let me ask the deist but this one short 
question, Was there ever a book of 
sham laws, which were not the laws 
of the nation, palmed upon any peo- 
ple, since the world begun? If not, 
with what face can they say this 
of the book of laws of the Jews? 
Why will they say that of them, which 
they confess impossible in any nation, 
or among any people ? " It is further 
to be said, in regard to the wonderful 
works of Moses, performed in behalf 
of the children of Israel, that public 
monuments and acts were set up to 
commemorate them, such as sacri- 
fices, feasts, fasts, &c. &c. A whole 
class of people were set apart as 
priests to teach the nation these things 
forever. Monuments were built that 
existed for ages, to hand down the 
remembrance of these events to future 
generations. " And he spake unto 
the children of Israel, saying, When 
your children shall ask their fathers 
in time to come, sajdng, What mean 
these stones? Then ye shall let your 
children know, saying, Israel came 
over this Jordan on dry land. For 
the Lord your God dried up the wa- 
ters of Jordan from before you, until 
ye were passed over, as the Lord your 
God did to the Eed Sea, which he 
dried up from before us, until we 
were gone over : that all the people 
of the earth might know the hand of 
the Lord, that it is mighty : that ye 
might fear the Lord your God for- 
ever;" Joshua iv. 21— 24. Now sup- 
pose that the wonders which these mon- 



uments were designed to commem- 
orate (and we take them as a sample 
of the whole) never took place, how 
can we account for the building of the 
monument, and the establishment of 
the festivals ? If it be said, the monu- 
ment was built for some other pur- 
pose, and the festivals were established 
for some other purpose at first, and 
afterwards came to be considered as 
proofs of these things, then we ask, 
would not the people have said, " We 
never heard of this reason for them 
before ? We have observed the festi- 
vals, and seen the monuments from 
our earliest days ; but never before 
did we hear that these things were 
designed for the purpose for which 
you now cite them." Suppose (if we 
may for a moment entertain the sup- 
position) that in some distant future 
age the object for which the Bunker 
Hill monument was erected shall be 
forgotten. Nobody then shall know 
why it had been built. We will then 
suppose that some designing person 
should say, that the settlers of New 
England came down from the north 
country, and on arriving on the bank 
of the Mystic, they found it impossi- 
ble to cross over; that on the 4th 
day of July, upon a certain year, the 
river divided, and they passed across 
its bed, without even wetting the soles 
of their feet ; and that the monument 
had been erected to commemorate 
that event, and that the festival on 
the 4th of July had been regularly 
observed all over the nation ever 
since for the same purpose. Could he 
succeed in such a design ? Would 
not the people say, we know not why 
this monument was built, (if the mem- 
ory of it had been lost,) but if the 
account you give us be true, how T does 
it happen that we never heard of it 
before ? We have the annals of our 
nation in the public archives, and no 
such thing is mentioned there. Would 
it be possible for any man under 
heaven to persuade the people to 
believe any such thing? The festi- 



of those miracles which he had 



vals, therefore, of the children of 
Israel, must have been commenced 
at the time alleged in the Scriptures, 
and for that purpose, for they could 
not have been commenced at any- 
other time. How could the com- 
memoration of the 4th of July, for 
the purposes for which we hallow the 
day, ever have been begun, if the 
independence of the nation had not 
been declared on that day? How 
could the festivals of the Jews, on 
their holy days, ever have begun, if 
the high, sacred, remarkable events 
they were designed to commemorate, 
had never happened ? Will any man 
in his sober senses say, that the reli- 
gious books, festivals, and regular 
observances of the Jews, are all so 
many cheats put upon the people ; 
and that they were commemorative 
of things that never occurred ? We 
cannot. There are no false miracles 
substantiated like the miracles of 
Moses, and those of the New Testa- 
ment. These miracles were outward, 
tangible, undeniable works, such as 
men's outward senses may take cog- 
nizance of; they were done in the 
most public manner; monuments 
have been kept up in memory of 
them, and outward acts have been 
performed by the thousands of Israel 
for the same purpose ; and these 
monuments and acts must have com- 
menced from the time the acts were 
done. He who, after all this, can 
believe that the account of the won- 
ders performed before the face of the 
children of Israel is all false, may be 
led even to doubt his own existence. 
The Jews themselves are a standing 
monument of the truth of the Bible ; 
and he who can study carefully the 
history of that people, and still disbe- 
lieve the Old Testament account of 
them, must be diseased in mind, with 
such a passion for doubting, that he 
is invulnerable to all evidence. As 
to the miracles of the New Testament, 
we have not room to go into the con- 
sideration of them here. Those who 



:r XIII. 225 

power to do in the sight of the 

wish to examine whether Christ and 
his apostles performed miracles, and 
what was the nature of those mira- 
cles, and why they performed them, 
and for what purposes they referred 
to them, may consult Mark vi. 52 ; 
ix. 39; Luke xxiii. 8; John ii. 11, 
23 ; iii. 2 ; iv. 54 j vi. 2, 26 ; vii. 31 ; 
ix. 16; x. 41 ; xi. 47; xii. 37; Acts 
ii. 22 ; iv. 16, 22 ; vi. 8 ; viii. 6, 13 ; 
xv. 12; xix. 11; 1 Cor. xii. 10, 28, 
29 ; Gal. iii. 5 ; Heb. ii. 4. We have 
already shown, that false or pretended 
miracles are presumptive evidences 
of genuine miracles; and we have 
therefore thought it not improper, in 
considering the false miracles or won- 
ders, or signs, of the Roman pagan 
priests, to go into the consideration 
of real miracles so far as we have 
done. If we believe there is a God, 
we have no doubt of his power over 
nature. He, therefore, can perform a 
miracle (or what is to men a miracle) 
if he please. If he were to send a 
messenger to the world, in what way 
could he better satisfy the world of 
his true character, than by proving 
that the power of God was with him, 

— power beyond the power of man. 
This God did in the case of Moses, 
and of the Lord Jesus Christ. Their 
miracles bore every mark of honesty, 

— they were performed publicly, in 
the presence of enemies, not to gain 
the favor of men, but in the sacred 
performance of duty, when it was 
known that those who performed 
them thereby incurred the wrath 
of the leading men in power, and 
perilled all they held dear on earth, 
and even life itself. They have 
been attested in every age since, 
as the miracle of our Lord's resurrec- 
tion has been attested by the festival 
of the Lord's supper, which forms an 
unbroken chain of evidence from the 
time of the resurrection to the present 
day. It is not to be wondered at, then, 
that false teachers have sought to 
keep up the appearance of the power 
to work miracles. Such was the case 



226 



REVELATION. 



beast; saying to them that 
dwell on the earth, that they 

of the beast mentioned in the verse 
we have before us, who represented 
the wonder-working power of the 
pagan priests. But we shall speak 
further on these subjects under the 
next verse. 

14. By the means of those miracles. 
— We are told, that the frogs which 
came out of the mouth of the false 
prophet, "are the spirits of devils 
[adversaries] working miracles xvi. 
13, 14; and it is also said: "The 
beast was taken and with him the 
false prophet that wrought miracles 
before him;" xix. 20. It is said of 
the second beast that "he doeth great 
wonders, so that he maketh fire come 
down from heaven on the earth in the 
sight of men; and deceiveth them 
that dwell on the earth by the means 
of those miracles which he had power 
to do in the sight of the beast." Do 
not these passages, when compared, 
justify the conclusion that by the 
second beast was intended those false 
prophets, or teachers of the pagan 
religion, who falsely pretended to 
perform miracles, and who were so 
skilled in wicked works of art and 
legerdemain, that they actually de- 
ceived the people in regard to those 
things ? It surely is not intended that 
they actually performed these mira- 
cles ; for false prophets, as we have 
shown under the preceding verse, 
cannot really perform miracles ; and, 
moreover, had they really performed 
miracles, they would not have been 
represented as deceiving the people, 
which all along the second beast, or 
false prophet, is represented as having 
done. It is well to bear in mind, that 
the second beast existed simultane- 
ously with the first, otherwise he 
could not have performed his alleged 
miracles in his sight. False prophets, 
in all ages of the world, have pre- 
tended to perform miracles ; and 
have sometimes carried on their de- 
ceptions with so much adroitness as 
to give them greatly the appearance 



should make an image to the 
beast, which had the wound by 

of reality. Such was the case with 
the Egyptian sorcerers and magicians 
in Pharaoh's court, Exod. vii. 11, as 
we have before noticed. Jesus fore- 
told, that at the second advent " many 
false prophets should arise ;" Matt, 
xxiv. 11 ; and again, that there should 
arise " false Christs, [anti-Christs,] 
and false prophets, who should show 
great signs and wonders ; insomuch 
that, if it were possible, they should 
deceive the very elect ;" verse 24 ; 
and all the rest of the world they did 
deceive. See Mark xiii. 22. Paul 
described the false prophet to the 
church at Thessalonica. He calls 
him the " man of sin," " the son of 
perdition, who opposeth and exalteth 
himself above all that is called God 
or that is worshipped ; so that he, as 
God, sitteth in the temple of God, 
showing himself that he is God 
2 Thess. ii. 4 ; [hence, his blas- 
phemy.] And again he says : "And 
then shall that Wicked be revealed 
whom the Lord shall consume with 
the spirit of his mouth, and shall 
destroy with the brightness of his 
coming. Even him, whose coming 
is after the working of Satan, with 
all power, and signs, and lying won- 
ders, and with all deceivableness of 
unrighteousness in them that perish :" 
verses 8 — 10. The phrase, "spirit of 
his mouth," will be explained by the 
following passages. Jesus said, Rev. 
ii. 16: "I will come unto thee 
quickly, and will fight against them 
with the sword of my mouth ;" i. e., 
the piercing power of his word. Hence 
it is said, (i. 16,) " Out of his mouth 
went a sharp two-edged sword ;" 
and Paul said : " The word of God is 
quick and powerful, and sharper than 
any two-edged sword," &c. ; Heb. iv. 
12 ; and in Ephesians he tells us, 
that "the sword of the spirit" is 
"the word of God;" vi. 17. The 
consuming with the spirit of his 
mouth, or fighting with the sword of 
his mouth, refers to the power of his 



CHAPTER XIII. 



227 



a sword, and did live. 

15 And he had power to give 
life unto the image of the beast, 
that the image of the beast 
should both speak, and cause 

word. The false prophet would be 
slain with the power of the divine 
word ; at the coming of Christ, or the 
full establishment of Christianity. 

15. Give life unto the image of the 
beast. — It is no more meant here that 
the false prophet could give life to 
the image of the beast, than it was 
intended in the preceding verse that 
he could actually perform miracles. 
He merely had the power to make 
the image of the beast appear as if it 
were alive. Reference seems to be 
had here to some idol, or oracle, 
highly respected in the empire, per- 
haps made in the image of some of 
the great men deceased, or perhaps 
of the reigning emperor ; and the 
false prophet made the oracle appear 
to speak, as it was once generally 
thought the oracle did ; and the ora- 
cle announced "that as many as 
would not worship the image of the 
beast," or the oracle, one of the 
essentia] props of the pagan religion 
of antiquity, "should be killed," 
which the secular power would of 
course see fit to have done. These 
were terrific times to the poor Chris- 
tians. Here we see the deception 
that was carried on by this false 
prophet, and also the cruelty that 
reigned in his heart. Mark the lan- 
guage : " The image of the beast 
should both speak and cause that as 
many as would not worship the image 
of the beast should be killed." Is it 
not true then, as stated in the 11th 
verse, that " he spake as a dragon ? " 
He was auxiliary to the dragon ; he 
moved at his bidding; he deceived 
the people, and used all his arts and 
intrigue to subserve the cause of the 
dragon and the seven-headed beast. 

16. Receive a mark; — i. e., as a 
sign of their allegiance to the beast. 
It was the name, or number of the 



that as many as would not wor- 
ship the image of the beast 
should be killed. 

16 And he causeth all, both 
small and great, rich and poor, 

beast, perhaps, or some significant 
appellation showing that they ac- 
knowledged the beast's authority. 

In their right hand, or in their fore- 
heads. — The false prophet had a wide 
influence in the empire. He caused 
all, of every degree, to be most pub- 
licly known as the adherents of the 
beast, — to wear his brand, or mark, 
in their right hand, to denote that all 
their power was given to him, or in 
their forehead, as the most public 
avowal of their adherence. They 
were not permitted to remain neutral. 
In the most public manner they must 
avow, and with their strongest ener- 
gies they must defend, the interests 
of the beast. Those who received 
the mark of the beast, or in other 
words acknowledged his authority, 
were made to suffer all the punish- 
ments that fell upon the enemies of the 
Lord Jesus. See xiv. "9 — 11, where 
will be found a more full explanation 
of this subject. See, also, xvi. 2 ; xix. 
20. But those who got the victory 
over the beast and over his "mark," 
were the friends of God. They wor- 
shipped God, and sang the song of 
Moses and the Lamb, xv. 2, and thgy 
lived and reigned with Christ, upon 
the earth ; xx. 4. They had the 
name of God and of the New Jerusa- 
lem written upon them, — the Father's 
name being in their foreheads. " Him 
that overcometh will I make a pillar 
in the temple of my God, and he shall 
go no more out; and I will write 
upon him the name of my God, and 
the name of the city of my God, 
which is new Jerusalem, which com- 
eth down out of heaven from my 
God ; and I will write upon him my 
new name ;" Rev. hi. 12. See also 
xiv. 1 : " And I looked, and lo, a 
Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and 
with him an hundred forty and four 



228 



REVELATION. 



free and bond, to receive a mark 
in their right hand, or in their 
foreheads ; 

17 And that no man might 



thousand, having his Father's name 
written in their foreheads." The 
false prophet also sought to regulate 
trade and commerce among men, and 
turn even those things to the advan- 
tage of the beast. See the remarks 
under the next verse. 

17. No man might buy or sell. — 
After having compelled men, by the 
fear of losing their lives, to avow 
their allegiance to the beast in the 
most public manner, and to conse- 
crate their strongest and most active 
powers to his service, he procured it 
to be established that no other man 
should buy or sell. If there were any 
backwardness which brought suspi- 
cion upon a man that he was not a 
friend of the beast, if the proof were 
not strong enough to convict him, 
and thus produce his death, then his 
business should be entirely broken 
up. All means of livelihood were 
thus to be taken away from those 
who would not give their influence 
to the pagan religion. They were 
crippled in every manner possible ; 
they were continually harassed ; all 
means, however unjust, that would 
have an effect to coerce the people 
into the service of the beast, were 
resorted to. We have seen how will- 
ing, how active, how efficient an 
auxiliary was this second beast, or 
false prophet, the lamb-like in appear- 
ance, the dragon-like in nature, the 
pagan priests and sorcerers. There 
was none other power in the empire 
that at all came up to the description 
of the revelator, except the power we 
have now described. It has been one 
of the most common means employed 
by false religionists in all ages of the 
world, to compel men to adopt their 
views and subserve their interests, 
by interfering with their worldly busi- 
ness. Every advantage has been 
thrown by them into the hands of 



buy or sell, save he that had 
the mark, or the name of the 
beast, or the number of his 
name. 



those w T ho were with them ; they have 
been aided in their secular employ- 
ments ; their places of sale have been 
largely patronized. But on the other 
hand, opposite means have been used. 
The opponent of the dominant power, 
however pure, however honest he 
may have been, has been put down. 
The strong arm has crushed him. 
His business has been undermined; 
and every means have been adopted 
to bring on his ruin. Let all who 
have ever followed practices of this 
kind see that they have been apt 
learners in the school of the false 
prophet of the Apocalypse. 

18. Here is wisdom. — The subject 
of this verse was probably regarded 
as important, and perhaps was easily 
understood at the time the book was 
written. At this day it is much more 
difficult to give it a construction. 
" Here is wisdom" or here wisdom is 
required. As if he had said, this can 
be understood only by the wise, or the 
initiated. To those who could under- 
stand the matter, this was probably 
the most definite description of the 
power intended by the beast, that is 
contained in the whole allegory. The 
Apocalypse w r as probably written in 
the allegorical style, that while it 
benefitted the Christians, who would 
understand it, it would not so greatly 
provoke their enemies, who would 
not so readily comprehend it, as if 
written in a more direct and plain 
manner. The metaphors, therefore, 
are such as were drawn principally 
from the sacred Jewish books, which 
the Christians would readily com- 
prehend, but their heathen enemies 
would not. In this way the revelator 
sought to instruct his brethren, with- 
out unnecessarily exciting the ven- 
geance of their enemies. Having set 
forth the persecuting power under the 
figure of the beast, he comes at last 



CHAPTER XIII. 



229 



IS Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding 



to show more definitely what power 
he meant, by a process which would 
furnish positive information to those 
who could understand. Bat peculiar 
wisdom was required ; none but him 
who had understanding could " count 
the number." % Count the number. — 
What number? Ans. "The number 
of his name ver. 17. See also 
chap. xv. 2, where we find proof that 
the beast referred to was not the two- 
horned beast, but the principal, the 
one with ten horns, whose image the 
people worshipped. And what was 
meant by " the number of his name ? " 
Everybody knows, that previously to 
the invention of figures, in the tenth 
century, the letters of the alphabet 
had been used as numerals. It was 
so among the Hebrews, the Greeks, 
the Romans, and we suppose many 
other nations. Proofs of this are 
abundant. Let the common reader 
look at the 119th Psalm, and he will 
find the sections of it numbered 1, 2, 
3, 4, &c, by the use of the Hebrew 
letters Aleph, (A, or 1,) Beth, (B, or 2,) 
Gimel, (3,) Daleth, (4,) &c. A similar 
system of numeration has just been 
introduced into the army of the 
United States ; and instead of mark- 
ing the companies of a regiment 1, 2, 
3, 4, &c, they are called company A, 
company B, &c. We will suppose 
then, for the sake of an illustration, 
that all the letters of our alphabet 
have a numerical value, thus. 



A 1 

B 2 
C 3 
D 4 
E 5 
F 6 



G 7 
H 8 
I 9 
J 10 
K 20 
L 30 



M 40 
N 50 
O 60 
P 70 
Q80 
R 90 



S 100 
T 200 
U 300 
V 400 
W500 
X 600 



Y 700 
Z 800 



Now, spell a man's name as you 
might, there would be a certain num- 
ber attached to it. The common 
name Smith, would be S (100) M (40) 
I (9) T (200) H (8 ; ) which figures 
being added together would make 357 
as " the number of his name." Six 
hundred threescore and six. — That is. 
20 



666. The Christian fathers began 
right early to find out the secret of the 
revelator (for they sought to be very 
precise) by '''counting the number of 
the beast." They forgot the premo- 
nition "Here is wisdom ;" and "let 
him [only] that hath understanding 
count the number of the beast." 
They brought it out in the following 
manner. We give the Roman instead 
of the Greek letters, and use the let- 
ters according to the system which 
then prevailed. 



E (the Greek article) 

L 
A 
T 
I 

N 
E 

B 
A 
S 
I 
L 
E 
I 
A 



(long) 



(short) 



8 

30 
1 

300 
10 
50 
8 

2 
1 

200 
10 
30 
5 
10 
1 

666 



When the discovery was made, 
that the letters in the words E Latine 
Basileia, made up the number six 
hundred and sixty-six, there remained 
for some time no doubt that The 
Latin Kingdom [in Greek E Latine 
Basileia] was the beast. If the reader 
will look into Adam Clarke's Com- 
mentary, he will find that writer was 
carried utterly away with this idea. 
But the whole is a fallacy, for this 
one plain reason, that the same let 
ters, in a different arrangement, would 
spell different words, and yet would 
have just the same numeral result. 
It makes no difference into how many 
different arrangements you put the 
letters ; they always amount to 666. 
This mode of calculation, therefore, 
has fallen into discredit, from the fact, 



230 



REVELATION. 



count the number of the beast : 

resulting from experience, that there 
is no end to the multitude of names 
which may be composed by such fab- 
rications ; and that not only the anti- 
christian chiefs, but the most eminent 
of our reformers may be, and have 
been thus designated by their adver- 
saries. The Hebrew words for Lu- 
ther amount to 666, a circumstance, 
which has caused the Catholics to 
offset against the Protestants the 
attempts to show that the apocalyp- 
tical beast had some connection with 
the papal church. It is also a re- 
markable fact, that the Hebrew words 
for " The Most High, the Lord, the 
Holy God," amount to precisely 666. 
— See Calmet's Dictionary, under the 
word Anti-Christ, where he gives a 
tabular view of words, or names, the 
numeral force of which is that number. 

We are then thrown back upon our 
inquiry, what is meant by " the num- 
ber of his name ? " Shall we attempt 
to answer ? The very language for- 
bids ; "Here is wisdom;" here lies 
the secret, which none but those who 
had an understanding of the reve- 
lator's enigma can explain. It is 
l - the number of a man," although it 
is called " the number of the beast." 
The number is 666. Whether the 
revelator used the Hebrew or Greek 
letters for numerals, those who were 
instructed in the matter knew. They 
explained it to others. The number 
was the key to denote the power 
referred to. We content ourself with 
knowing that the Roman Empire in 
general was intended by the beast 
with seven heads and ten horns. 
The name of some eminent opposer 
of the church, perhaps one of the 
emperors, was intended by " the 
number of the beast." But this is 
conjecture. The Christians at the 
time knew. We are checked by the 
admonition, "Let him that hath under- 
standing count the number of the 
beast." We have not that under- 
standing. Cruden explains the mat- 
ter very wisely, and we shall leave it 



for it is the number of a man ; 



where he does : " The number of the 
beast, or the number of the name 
of the beast, stands for the numerical 
value of the letters that compose his 
name." 

Having offered our own opinion, 
we add to the above, the conjecture 
of Prof. Stuart, since, if he be correct, 
it agrees with what we have stated. 
He says : " Quite recently, however, 
Prof. Benary, of Berlin, has proposed 
a more ingenious, and to my mind 
more satisfactory, explanation of the 
nodus in question, than any with which 
I have before met. He regards it as 
nearly certain, that the letters indi- 
cative of the number in question, 
must be Hebrew letters, although he 
does not seem to have given a satis- 
factory reason. The very design 
however, of partial concealment, 
seems to be, as I have already 
hinted, a good reason for the adoption 
of this method by John. A heathen 
Greek or Roman would not be likely 
to divine the writer's meaning, in 
case the latter designed to make the 
appeal to Hebrew letters or words ; 
while there were everywhere Jewish 
Christians in the churches, who could 
easily unravel it. Benary remarks, 
that in the Talmud and other Rabbin- 
ical writings, the name of Nero [in 
the Hebrew form] often occurs. This 
amounts numerically to the number 
of the beast ; for the force of the 
Hebrew letters added together is 666. 
Nor is this all. There was another 
method of writing and pronouncing 
the name of Nero, approaching nearer 
to the Roman method. This was the 
Hebrew letters for Nero Csesar, which 
amount numerically to just 616, and 
thus gives a good ground for the 
diverse reading which Irenseus found 
in some codices. This is surely a 
remarkable coincidence. The same 
name, pronounced after the Greek and 
Hebrew analogy, equals numerically 
the sum of 666, but spoken in the 
Latin way it amounts to 616, which is 
the rival reading. Nothing can be more 



and his number is Six hundred 



natural and easy then, than to account 
in this way for both of the readings 
in the codices. The discrepant modes 
of sounding Nero's name, whether 
fully in Hebrew, or in an abridged 
way, gave rise to the ditierent desig- 
nations of the corresponding num- 
bers. A solution of the various read- 
ings, which is so natural and obvious, 
one is strongly tempted to believe, 
must have its foundation in truth and 
reality." So far, in substance, Prof. 
Stuart. See his Commentary, vol. 
ii. 457, 45S, Excursus iv. The rea- 
son why the revelator did not give 
fully, and without enigma, the name 
he intended, is easily seen ; he did 
not desire to bring down upon the 
unoffending church, the pointed indig- 
nation of the power intended. If the 
seven-headed beast intended the Ro- 
man secular power, as we think we 
have clearly shown, then the name 
of the beast may well be considered 
the name of the reigning emperor at 
the time the Apocalypse was written. 

Since the above was written, I 
have received from a friend the fol- 
lowing singular paragraph, which he 
states was copied from an old book, 
called the « Gospel Treasury," p. 125'. 
The date and authorship of the book 
were gone. We present the extract 
as a very striking illustration of the 
ingenuity which has been displayed 
in obtaining the beast's number, 666, 
from the names of eminent digni- 
taries, or of the places of their power. 

"VICARIVS FILII DEI. 

* * " Sometime ago, an English 
officer happening to be at Rome, 
observed on the front of the mitre 
which the pope wore at one of the 
solemnities, this inscription : ' Vica- 
rivs Filii Dei.' It instantly struck 
him — perhaps this is 'the number 
of the beast.' He set to work : and 
when he had selected all the numer- 
als, and added them up, he found, to 
his great astonishment, that the whole 
amounted to precisely six hundred 



IR XIV. 231 
threescore and six. 



and sixty-six. . What stress is to be 
laid on this I cannot say. 



VICARIVS 


FILII 


DEI. 


V 5 


I 1 


D 500 


I 1 


L 50 


I 1 


C 100 


I 1 




I 1 


I 1 


501 


V 5 




112 




53 


53 


112 




666. 



Thus it will be seen, that by taking 
from the title "Vicarivs Filii Dei," 
[Vicar of the Son of God,] the letters 
which are commonly used as numer- 
als, they make up the number of the 
beast. We attach no importance, 
however, to the fact, and present it 
merely for the purpose named, and to 
show the very singular coincidence 
of numerals in that title. 

CHAPTER XIV. 

Preliminary Considerations. — The 
chapter before us is by no means an 
unimportant one. In chapters xii. 
and xiii. the pagan and secular 
power of Rome are set forth, the 
former under the figure of "a great 
red dragon," xii. 3, the latter under 
that of the beast that rose up out of 
the sea, xiii. 1. These two powers, 
which were the two active powers of 
the Roman Empire in the persecution 
of the Christians, being thus intro- 
duced to the reader, with that of the 
false prophet, xiii. 11 — 17, the reve- 
lator proceeds (viz., in chap, xiv., 
which we are now to examine) to 
give a general synopsis of the matters 
that remain to be treated of in the 
Apocalypse. In chapters xii. and 
xiii. are described the rise and reign 
of the persecuting powers of the 
empire. Chapter xiv. is in favor of 
the church. It describes the prosperity 
of the church, notwithstanding the 
persecutions ; and the punishment of 
the persecutors, and of those by 
whom they were sustained. The 



232 



REVELATION. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

AND I looked, and lo, a Lamb 
stood on the mount Sion, 



effect of what is stated in chap. xiv. 
was to encourage the Christians. As, 
in chapters xii. and xiii., the prophecy 
is of things that were against the 
church, from henceforth the prophecy- 
is more especially of things that make 
for the church and against her enemies. 

The subjects treated in the 14th 
chapter are as follows : 

1st. A view of the continued faith- 
fulness of the Jewish converts, the 
hundred and forty-four thousand. See 
verses 1 — 5. 

2d. The preaching of the gospel to 
the Gentiles, and the judgment of the 
nations by the power thereof; verses 
6, 7. 

3d. The fall of Rome, the great 
seat of persecution in the empire, as 
Jerusalem had been the seat of" perse- 
cution in the country of the Jews ; 
ver. 8. 

4th. The punishment of the Roman 
persecutors, and of those who sus- 
tained them, as the Jews had been 
punished; verses 9 — 11. 

5th. The blessedness of the Chris- 
tians, like the blessedness of the Jew- 
ish converts to Christianity; verses 
12, 13. 

6th. Coming of the Son of man in 
judgment on the Romans, as he came 
in judgment on the Jews ; ver. 14. 

7th. He reaps the harvest of the 
earth, and his enemies are crushed 
like grapes trodden in the wine-press ; 
verses 15 — 20. 

The figures here applied to the 
Romans are the same with those 
which had been applied to the Jews ; 
Joel iii. 13 ; Jer. li. 33 ; Matt. xiii. 
39. Such are the subjects treated of 
in the 14th chapter ; and they are, as 
it were, a table of contents of what 
remains to be treated of in the Apoc- 
alypse. With these preliminary re- 
marks, we proceed to consider the 
chapter more particularly. 



and with him a hundred forty 
and four thousand, having his 
Father's name written in their 
foreheads. 



1. A Lamb stood on the mount Sion. 
— The first five verses of this chapter 
clearly describe the faith and con- 
stancy of the Jewish converts to 
Christianity. They were persecuted 
somewhat by the Roman power, and 
hence were introduced in this place 
by the revelator. The subject matter 
of these five verses has already been 
treated of, in the fifth chapter. The 
"Lamb" was the "Lamb of God, 
who taketh away the sin of the 
world :" John i. 29 ; the Lamb that 
stood in the midst of the elders ; Rev. 
v. 6 ; the Lamb that was an object 
of universal worship ; v. 8 — 14 ; the 
Lamb that was " slain from the foun- 
dation of the world;" Rev. xiii. 8; 
xvii. 8. This Lamb stood on mount 
Sion. We are not to understand this 
of the mount in the literal sense ; but 
of the gospel, which the figure mount 
Sion is used to designate. Hence 
Paul said to the Hebrew Christians : 
" Ye are come unto mount Sion, and 
unto the city of the living God, the 
heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innu- 
merable company of angels, to the 
general assembly and church of the 
first-born, which are written in 
heaven, and to God the Judge of all, 
and to the spirits of just men made 
perfect, and to Jesus the Mediator 
of the new covenant ;" Heb. xii. 22 
— 24. T[ With him a hundred forty 
and four thousand. — With the Lamb 
was the hundred and forty-four thou- 
sand, the same body of Christians 
mentioned in chap. vii. 4 : " And I 
heard the number of them which 
were sealed ; and there were sealed 
a hundred and forty and four thou- 
sand of all the tribes of the children 
Of Israel." These had the Father's 
name written in their foreheads ; and 
so they are said to be sealed, as the 
servants of God, in their foreheads. 
The hundred and forty-four thou- 



CHAPTER XIV. 



233 



2 And I heard a voice from 
heaven, as the voice of many- 
waters, and as the voice of a 
great thunder : and I heard the 

sand mentioned in vii. 3, were sealed 
in their foreheads. No one can doubt 
that it is the same hundred and 
forty-four thousand referred to in both 
cases. Father's name written in 
their foreheads. — The Father's name 
is written in their foreheads as the 
most conspicuous part of the body — 
they were not ashamed of their pro- 
fession. The worshippers of the beast 
also had the beast's name on their 
foreheads ; xiii. 16 ; xiv. 9 ; and the 
great harlot likewise had an inscrip- 
tion on her forehead, xvii. 5, the mark 
of her disgrace. It was a reward 
promised to the faithful Christians, 
that "him that overcometh, will I 
make a pillar in the temple of my 
God, and he shall go no more out ; 
and I will write upon him the name 
of my God, and the name of the city 
of my God, which is new Jerusalem, 
which cometh down out of heaven 
from my God : and I will write upon 
him my new name;" iii. 12. The 
faithful Christians acknowledged, in 
the most conspicuous manner, their 
allegiance to God. 

2. Voice from heaven. — This " voice 
from heaven," was the voice of wor- 
ship from mount Sion, as of the min- 
gled voices of a hundred and forty- 
four thousand persons singing aloud 
the praise of their God. Mount Sion 
was heaven. Heaven is the spiritual 
state produced in the soul by the 
belief of the gospel. Hence Paul 
calls the gospel kingdom, the heav- 
enly Jerusalem ; and Christians are 
the general assembly and church of 
the first-born, whose names are writ- 
ten in heaven, that is, on the roll of 
the church : Heb. xii. 22—24. *U As 
the voice of many waters, &c. — It was 
like the noise of a cataract, or of 
great thunder ; that is, it was exceed- 
ingly loud. So the voice of the Son 
of man was described ; i. 15. The 
20* 



voice of harpers harping with 
their harps : 

3 And they sung as it were 
a new song before the throne, 

praise offered to God by the Chris- 
tians throughout the Roman Empire 
is described in the same manner : 
" And I heard as it were the voice of 
a great multitude, and as the voice 
of many waters, and as the voice of 
mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia : 
for the Lord God omnipotent reign- 
eth ;" xix. 6. The description is 
designed to connect the idea of 
majesty and authority with the voice 
of Christ. The voice of a hundred 
and forty-four thousand people sing- 
ing would necessarily be loud. T[ The 
voice . of harpers harping with their 
harps. — Harps had been used in the 
religious worship of the Jews, proba- 
bly from the time of the earliest 
existence of that people, for the harp 
was constructed very early in the 
history of the world; Gen. iv. 21. 
David and all Israel played on harps ; 
2 Sam. vi. 4. It was an instru- 
ment in universal use among the 
Jews ; especially in times of triumph, 
joy, and religious exultation ; Job 
xxi. 12; Psa. xxxiii. 2; xliii. 4; lvii. 
8; lxxi. 22; Isa. v. 12. In times of 
sorrow the voice of the harper was 
not heard; Psa. cxxxvii. 2 ; Isa. xxiv. 
8; Ezk. xxvi. 13; Rev. xviii. 22. 
The music of the harp formed a very 
important part of the temple-service. 
Hence the praise of the Christian 
church to God, as it was an outbreak- 
ing of triumph and joy, is metaphori- 
cally described as "the voice of 
harpers harping with their harps." 
Thus the elders are represented as 
having 'harps, Rev. v. 8, and those 
also who stood on the sea of glass, 
xv. 2. 

3. And they sung a new song.- — 
That is, the hundred and forty-four 
thousand did this. All the prep- 
aration for singing is described in 
the preceding verse. They had made 
ready their harps, and had already 



234 



REVELATION. 



and before the four beasts, and 
the elders : and no man could 
learn that song but the hundred 
and forty and four thousand, 

begun the prelude on those instru- 
ments, which were also to accompany 
the voices in the song. What was 
this new song? It was called new, 
because it had never been sung before 
the Lamb was actually slain. It was 
the custom of the Jews, to " praise 
the name of God with a song Psa. 
lxix. 30. "When any new matter of 
religious rejoicing came up, God was 
said to put a new song into the mouths 
of his people, Psa. xl. 3, a new subject 
of rejoicing and praise. These songs, 
when generally learned by the people, 
were very precious to them. They 
could sing them on Zion ; they could 
sing them at home ; but they could 
not sing them in a strange land ; 
Psa. cxxxvii. 4. But the new song 
mentioned in the verse before us 
was emphatically new. It was on a 
subject -for which men had never sung 
the praise of God before. It was the 
song of redeeming love, which was 
commenced to be sung when the 
Lamb was actually slain. See Rev. 
v. 9, 10 : " And they sung a new 
song, saying, Thou art worthy to take 
the book, and to open the seals 
thereof: for thou wast slain, and 
hast redeemed us to God by thy blood 
out of every kindred, and tongue, and 
people, and nation ; and hast made 
us unto our God kings and priests : 
and we shall reign on the earth." 
From this it is evident, that the new 
song is the song of praise for redeem- 
ing love, by the blood of Christ, and 
for the triumph of Christian princi- 
ples among men. This song was 
sung before the throne, and before 
the four beasts, and before the elders ; 
which is precisely as the facts were 
described in chap. v. 6 — 9. ^[ And no 
man could learn that song but the hun- 
dred and forty and four thousand which 
were redeemed from the earth. — For 
how could any besides the redeemed 



which were redeemed from the 
earth. 

4 These are they which were 
not defiled with women ; for 



sing the new song of redeeming love ? 
By the redeemed here are meant 
those who had been brought to the 
knowledge of Jesus, and who be- 
lieved in him. In one sense all men 
are redeemed, for Jesus " gave him- 
self a ransom for all, to be testified in 
due time ;" 1 Tim. ii. 6. In another 
sense, those only are called the re 
deemed who have come to the knowl- 
edge of Jesus, and have experienced 
the benefits of the redemption in their 
own souls. The term is used in the 
latter sense in the verse before us. 
The new song all are to sing at last. 
All shall praise God for the gift of his 
Son. "Every knee shall bow, and 
every tongue shall confess that Jesus 
Christ is Lord to the glory of God the 
Father;" Phil. ii. 9—11. This is 
the matter of the new song. The 
hundred and forty-four thousand 
were persons on the earth who had 
been brought to the knowledge of the 
truth, and purified thereby. But who 
they were is more fully made known 
in the two succeeding verses. 

4. Not defiled by women. — The state 
of virginity is put for purity in doc- 
trine and life. Paul says : "I am 
jealous over you with godly jealousy : 
for I have espoused you to one hus- 
band, that I may present you as a 
chaste virgin to Christ ;" 2 Cor. 
xi. 2. Believers are said to have 
"escaped the corruption that is in the 
world;" 2 Peter i. 4. By parity of 
metaphor, fornication is put in the 
Scriptures for the sin of idolatry, and 
of partaking in the support and coun- 
tenance of false religion. To go into 
idolatry, in the language of the Old 
Testament, was to go a whoring after 
heathen gods : " For thou shalt wor- 
ship no other god : for the Lord, 
whose name is Jealous, is a jealous 
God ; lest thou make a covenant -with 
the inhabitants of the land, and they 



CHAPTER XIV. 



235 



they are virgins. These are 
they which follow the Lamb 
whithersoever he goeth. These 
were redeemed from among men, 



go a whoring after their gods, and do 
sacrifice unto their gods, and one call 
thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice ; 
and thou take of their daughters unto 
thy sons, and their daughters go a 
whoring after their gods, and make 
thy. sons go a whoring after their 
gods. Thou shalt make thee no 
molten gods;" Exodus xxxiv. 14 — 17. 
See also Lev. xx. 5, 6 ; Deut. xxxi. 
16; Psa. lxxiii. 27; Ezk. vi. 9. 
As the hundred and forty-four thou- 
sand kept themselves pure from false 
religion and crime, they are said not 
to have been defiled. % Follow the 
Lamb. — They are said, too, to have 
followed " the Lamb whithersoever 
he went." This was a condition of 
discipleship. "He that taketh not 
his cross, and followeth after me, is 
not worthy of me ;" Matt. x. 38. 
Again : " My sheep hear my voice, 
and I know them; and they follow 
me ;" John x. 27. ^[ Redeemed from 
among men. — They were redeemed 
from among men. " Ye are bought 
[says Paul] with a price : therefore 
glorify God in your body, and in your 
spirit, which are God's ;" 1 Cor. vi. 
20. Thus the believers were re- 
deemed from among men, — they 
were brought out, made separate, and 
became a peculiar people zealous of 
good works. ^[ The first-fruits unto 
God and the Lamb. — So the Jewish 
Christians were in truth. They were 
the earliest converts to Christ. The 
gospel was first preached to the Jews ; 
and although the great body of the 
people rejected it, yet some believed 
on the Son of God ; and they were, 
of course, the earliest converts, or 
" the first-fruits." The figure is a 
beautiful one. The "first-fruits" 
were certain small portions of the 
harvest, gathered as soon as they 
were fully ripe ; and they were offered 
to the Lord, in the temple, as a sign 



being the first-fruits unto God 
and to the Lamb. 

5 And in their mouth was 
found no guile : for they are 



of the dependence and gratitude of 
the people. They denoted that the 
harvest was ready to be gathered in ; 
and it was certainly expected that the 
whole harvest would be gathered. The 
Jewish Christians were " the first- 
fruits unto God and the Lamb," or, as 
St. James says, (i. 18 :) " A kind 
of first-fruits of his creatures." Jesus, 
when he rose from the dead, became 
" the first-fruits of them that slept;" 
1 Cor. xv. 20, 23 ; that is, his resur- 
rection was the proof and pledge of 
the subsequent resurrection of all 
men; for St. Paul so regarded the 
resurrection of Christ. " But now is 
Christ risen from the dead, and be- 
come the first-fruits of them that slept. 
For since by man came death, by 
man came also the resurrection of the 
dead. For as in Adam all die, even 
so in Christ shall all be made alive ;" 
1 Cor. xv. 20—22. We see, then, 
that Christ's resurrection was the 
pledge and proof of the resurrection 
of all men. He was the first-fruits 
from the dead. The early Christians 
were the first-fruits of a general har- 
vest. All the rest of God's moral 
creation will eventually become what 
they were. They were the sample and 
the pledge of it. For, as Paul says, 
"If the first-fruits be holy, the lump 
[i. e., all that remains] is holy ;" 
Rom. xi. 16. The first-fruits were 
holy, for the revelator testifies, " In 
their mouth was found no guile ; 
for they are without fault before the 
throne of God." Such were the first- 
fruits ; such shall be the general har- 
vest. 

5. No guile. — Guile here is put for 
deceit. " Blessed is the man (says 
the Psalmist) unto whom the Lord 
imputeth not iniquity, and in whose 
spirit there is no guile ;" Psa. xxxii. 
2. Again : " What man is he that 
desireth life, and loveth many days, 



236 



REVELATION. 



without fault before the throne 
of God. 

6 And I saw another angel fly 
in the midst of heaven, having 
the everlasting gospel to preach 



that he may see good? Keep thy 
tongue from evil, and thy lips from 
speaking guile. Depart from evil, 
and do good; seek peace, and pursue 
it Psa. xxxiv. 12 — 14. When Jesus 
saw Nathanael coming to him, he 
was struck with his honesty and sin- 
cerity, and said : " Behold an Israelite 
indeed, in whom is no guile!" John 
i. 47. But the most remarkable pas- 
sage, and the one which it is the most 
necessary we should quote in connec- 
tion with this subject, is 1 Pet. ii. 22, 
where, speaking of Jesus, the apostle 
says : " Who did no sin, neither was 
guile found in his mouth." We have 
but little doubt that the Apocalypse 
was written before the epistle of Pe- 
ter, and that Peter had seen it, and 
learned this phraseology from it. We 
have mentioned other instances of 
Peter apparently quoting from the 
Apocalypse. ^[ Without fault. — 
Similar language often occurs in the 
New Testament. Zacharias and 
Elizabeth "were both righteous be- 
fore God, walking in all the com- 
mandments and ordinances of the 
Lord blameless Luke i. 6. See, 
also, Eph. v. 27 ; Phil. ii. 15 ; 2 Pet. 
iii. 14; Jude 24. that Christians 
might all live up to these descriptions ! 

Before the throve of God. — To do 
a thing before God, or before the 
throne of God, is to do it seriously, 
heartily, solemnly, as if standing in 
the very presence of God. To be 
without fault before the throne of God, 
signified to be faultless in the sight 
of God, in his estimation, or judg- 
ment. " Pure religion and unde- 
filed before God and the Father," Jas. 
i. 27, means a religion that was pure 
and undefiled in his sight. 

6. Another angel. — No angel had 
been spoken of previously in this con- 
nection. The word another here, 



unto them that dwell on the 
earth, and to every nation, and 
kindred, and tongue, and people, 
7 Saying with a loud voice, 
Fear God, and give glory to 



therefore, refers back to viii. 13, 
where we read of an angel flying 
through the midst of heaven. The 
angel mentioned in the verse before 
us, flew in the midst of heaven, and 
hence is called another, in reference 
to the former. In the midst of 
heaven; — i. e., he proceeded in the 
most public manner, having the ever- 
lasting gospel. *fl Everlasting gospel. 
— The gospel is "an everlasting cov- 
enant, ordered in all things and sure," 
2 Sam. xxiii. 5, and hence is called 
the "everlasting gospel." "The 
grass withereth, the flower fadeth : 
but the word of our God shall stand 
forever ;" Isa. xl. 8. ^[ Every nation, 
and kindred, &c. — The gospel having 
been preached to the Jews, and hav- 
ing been rejected by the great body 
of that nation, the apostles turned to 
the Gentiles with the heavenly mes- 
sage ; Acts xiii. 46 — 49; xxviii. 28. 
This preaching the gospel to the Gen- 
tiles is described by the angel " hav- 
ing the everlasting gospel to preach 
to them that dwell on the earth, and 
to evert/ nation, and kindred, and 
tongue, and people." This must be 
intended to describe the preaching of 
Christ to the Gentiles, who were 
called upon to fear God, and give 
glory to him, for the hour of his judg- 
ment had come. 

7. Fear God. — That is, reverence 
him. Fear does not here signify 
terror, nor any feeling inconsistent 
with the purest worship of God, be- 
cause it is joined with worship, and 
with giving glory to God. It is not 
therefore slavish fear; but that true 
filial fear, Or reverence, which is the 
beginning of wisdom. It is perfectly 
consistent with love ; but the holy 
passion of love cannot exist towards 
an object which we dread. " There 
is no fear in love ; but perfect love 



CHAPTER XIV, 



mi 



him : for the hour of his judg- merit is come : and worship him 



casteth out fear : because fear hath, 
torment. He that feareth, is not 
made perfect in love ;" 1 John iv. 18. 

The hour of his judgment is come. — 
Mark the fact, that the hour of his 
judgment came simultaneously with 
the preaching of the gospel. The 
same angel that goes out to preach 
the everlasting gospel to them that 
dwell on the earth, also proclaims that 
the hour of God's judgment is come ; 
and at the same time that the judg- 
ment is come, he calls on men to 
worship God that made heaven and 
earth, &c. What judgment can this 
be except the judgment of the world 
by Jesus Christ under the gospel 
reign? It is referred to in xv. 4: 
" Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and 
glorify thy name ? for thou only art 
holy : for all nations shall come and 
worship before thee ; for thy judg- 
ments are made manifest P Was there 
any judgment set up simultaneously 
with the opening of the gospel, or the 
setting up of Christ's kingdom in the 
world? Most certainly there was. 
Let the reader re-peruse what we 
have said on this subject, xi. 18, and 
let him observe carefully what we 
shall say on xx. 12, 13. Suffice it to 
say here, that if the sacred writers 
reveal any fact with distinctness, it is 
this, viz., that the books were opened 
and that the judgment of the nations 
was begun when the kingdom of 
Christ commenced. The events were 
simultaneous. So Paul, in his address 
to the Athenians, (which we quote,) 
speaks of the two events as simulta- 
neous : " God that made the world, 
and all things therein, seeing that he 
is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth 
not in temples made with hands ; 
neither is worshipped with men's 
hands, as though he needed anything, 
seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, 
and all things ; and hath made of one 
blood all nations of men for to dwell 
on all the face of the earth, and hath 
determined the times before appointed, 
and the bounds of their habitation ; 



that they should seek the Lord, if 
haply they might feel after him, and 
find him, though he be not far from 
every one of us ; for in him we live, 
and move, and have our being; as 
certain also of your own poets have 
said, For we are also his offspring. 
Forasmuch then as we are the off- 
spring of God, we ought not to think 
that the Godhead is like unto gold, or 
silver, or stone, graven by art and 
man's device. And the times of this 
ignorance God winked at ; but now 
commandefh all men everywhere to 
repent : because he hath appointed a 
day, in the which he will judge the 
world in righteousness, by that man 
whom he hath ordained : whereof he 
hath given assurance unto all men, in 
that he hath raised him from the 
dead;" Acts xvii. 24—31. There 
are striking points of resemblance 
between the passage now quoted and 
the passage we are considering, viz., 
verses 6, 7. First, observe the subject 
of the preaching of the gospel to the 
Gentiles. The angel flying through 
the midst of heaven is commissioned 
to preach the gospel to " every nation, 
and kindred, and tongue, and peo- 
ple ;" ver. 6. Paul says God "com- 
mandeth all men everywhere to re- 
pent." Second, observe the fact, that 
God is announced as the Creator of 
all things. The .xevelator calls on 
men to " worship him that made 
heaven and earth, and the sea, and 
the fountains of waters." Paul says : 
" God made the world, and all things 
therein." Third, observe the fact, 
that the judgment and the proclama- 
tion of the gospel are joined as it 
respects time. The revelator says 
the hour of God's judgment is come, 
in connection with the proclamation 
of the gospel. Paul says: "God 
commanded all men everywhere to 
repent, [i. e., he said, Repent, for the 
kingdom of heaven, or the gospel, is 
at hand,] because he hath appointed 
a day in the which he will judge the 
world in righteousness." Fourth, 



238 



REVELATION. 



that made heaven, and earth, 
and the sea, and the fountains 

observe this judgment is by the Lord 
Jesus Christ. The revel ator repre- 
sents it to be under the reign of 
Christ ; for it was at the same time 
with the proclamation of the ever- 
lasting gospel ; and Paul says God 
" will judge the world in righteous- 
ness by that man whom he hath 
ordained, whereof he hath given assur- 
ance unto all men, in that he hath 
raised him from the dead." This is 
clearly a reference to Jesus Christ ; 
and he said, "For judgment I am 
come into this world;" John ix. 39. 
The day God had appointed in the 
which he would judge the world in 
righteousness by Jesus Christ, was 
the gospel day, referred to by Paul in 
the words, "Now is the accepted 
time, now is the day of salvation ;" 
2 Cor. vi. 2. Lastly, observe the 
motive which is advanced in each 
case why men should repent of their 
errors and sins, and worship God. 
The revelator says : " Fear God, and 
give glory to him, for the hour of his 
judgment is come ;" and Paul says : 
"God commandeth all men every- 
where to repent, because he hath 
appointed a day in the which he will 
judge the world," &c. &c. From all 
these facts, there can be no dispute, 
that both the apostle Paul and the 
revelator were speaking of the call to 
the Gentiles, to turn from their idols, 
their errors and their sins, and wor- 
ship God, the Creator of all things, 
because the hour, or time, of his 
judgment had come, — the time in 
w r hich he would judge men in this 
world [John ix. 39] by the great prin- 
ciples of the gospel of the Lord Jesus 
Christ. This judgment is not. a per- 
sonal judgment ; Christ is not visibly 
present ; the mediatorial throne is not 
an outward, tangible throne ; it is a 
judgment by the principles of Christ, 
which is now going on wherever the 
gospel is known. " He that rejecteth 
me, and receiveth not my words, hath 
one that judgeth him ; the word that 



of waters. 

8 And there followed another 



1 have spoken, the same shall judge 
him in the last day ;" John xii. 48 ; [or 
gospel day, for that is called the last 
day ; Isa. ii. 2 ; Micah iv. 1 ; 2 Tim. 
iii. 1; Heb. i. 2 ; 1 Pet. i. 5, 20; 

2 Pet. hi. 3 ; 1 John ii. 18 ; Jude 18.] 
In certain cases, where it is said 
Christ shall judge men, it means his 
principles shall judge them, Christ 
being put metaphorically for the prin- 
ciples of his gospel, as Moses is put 
for the principles of the law. " There 
is one that accuseth 3'ou. even Moses, 
in whom ye trust. For had ye be- 
lieved Moses, ye would have believed 
me : for he wrote of me. But if ye 
believe not his writings, how shall ye 
believe my words?" John v. 45 — 47. 
Here evidently Moses is put for his 
principles. He accused the Jews by 
what he had said in his writings. 
Again : " They have Moses and the 
prophets ; let them hear them ;" Luke 
xvi. 29. "If they hear not Moses 
and the prophets, neither will they be 
persuaded, though one rose from the 
dead;" 31. Once more : "For Moses 
of old time hath in every city them 
that preach him, being read in the 
synagogues every sabbath-day ;" Acts 

I xv. 21. It must be evident to all that 
Moses is here put metaphorically for 
his principles. 

8. Another angel. — Different from 
the one mentioned ver. 6. Both 
these are to be ranked among the 
angels of proclamation. See our 
classification under Rev. v. 2. 
^[ Babylon is fallen, is fallen. — All the 
power of the dragon, the beast, and 
the false prophet, was combined to 
arrest the spread of the gospel. But 
notwithstanding all they had the 
power to do, the gospel flourished. 
The church on mount Zion [viz., the 
Jewish converts to Christianity] re- 
mained firm in their devotion to the 
Lamb, and the gospel was sent out, 
and prospered wondrously among the 
Gentiles. The spread of it could not 
be arrested. On the other hand, the 



CHAPTER XIV. 



239 



angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, 
is fallen, that great city, because 

powers that opposed it were doomed 
to fall. The revelator shouts over 
the fall of Babylon. Babylon was a 
great city, the capital of Babylonia, or 
Chaldea. It was to this place that 
the Jews were carried away captive 
by Nebuchadnezzar. See the 137th 
Psalm. In consequence of this event, 
the name Babylon became symbolical, 
among the Jews, for a state of suffer- 
ing and calamity, as Sodom was sym- 
bolical of a place of great wicked- 
ness ; and hence Jerusalem was spirit- 
ually called Sodom and Egypt ; lie v. 
xi. 8. As in this place where Sodom 
is named, we know that Jerusalem is 
intended, so here where Babylon is 
named, Rome is intended. The Jews 
believed, from the time of the seventy 
years' captivity, that Babylon would 
be destroyed, in consequence of their 
detention in bondage. When that 
city fell, therefore, they esteemed it 
a judgment of God. Isaiah sung : 
" Babylon is fallen, is fallen ; and all 
the graven images of her gods he 
hath broken unto the ground xxi. 
9. And Jeremiah takes up the same 
strain : " Babylon is suddenly fallen 
and destroyed : howl for her ; take 
balm for her pain, if so be she may 
be healed li. 8. Thus we see 
where the revelator found the lan- 
guage he employs, " Babylon is fal- 
len, is fallen." That Babylon is put 
for Rome in the Apocalypse, is placed 
beyond all doubt by what we find in 
the 17th chapter, where we are told 
that the woman Babylon, who sat 
upon the Roman beast, with seven 
heads and ten horns, [evidently the 
Roman Empire,] was "that great city 
which reigneth over the kings of the 
earth ;" a description that would apply 
to no city on the earth at that time 
except Rome. Rome was " that great 
city," or empire, which had " made 
all nations drink of the wine of the 
wrath of her fornication." In the 
first of this chapter, viz., from verses 
1 — 7, the revelator had shown what I 



she made all nations drink of 
the wine of the wrath of her 

was to happen to the church, both in 
its Jewish and Gentile branches ; and 
he commences at ver. 8 [now before 
us] to describe what was about to hap' 
pen to her enemies throughout the em- 
pire. This fall of Rome is to be 
understood in a somewhat different 
sense from the fall of Jerusalem. 
There was not such an utter devasta- 
tion that not one stone was left upon 
another. It partook more of the 
character of a moral fall, as we learn 
from chap, xviii. 2 : " And he cried 
mightily with a strong voice, saying, 
Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, 
and is become the habitation of devils, 
and the hold of every foul spirit, and 
a cage of every unclean ana hateful 
bird." This is not too strong a 
description of the wickedness of Rome. 
She did become " the habitation of 
devils ;" she was " the mother of 
harlots and of the abominations Of 
the earth ;" xvii. 5. "She made all 
nations drink of the wine of the wrath 
of her fornication ;" i. e., she caused 
them to participate in her crimes and 
her punishments. The fall of Rome 
is more particularly described in 
chapters xvii. and xviii., and we shall 
treat of it again when we come to 
those sections. *ft Made all nations 
drink of the wine. — She had power 
once, and she used it. She pressed 
all nations into her service ; she infat- 
uated them with zeal against Chris- 
tianity, and made them partakers of 
her sins. Hence it is said she made 
all nations drink of her wine. Two 
qualities are attributed to wine in the 
Scriptures, the strengthening and the 
intoxicating quality. Used judi- 
ciously, by those in a weakly state, 
wine is beneficial ; but if taken to 
excess, the effect is highly injurious. 
These contrary qualities will account 
for the apparently contradictory man- 
ner in which the sacred writers speak 
of wine. In the one case, it "is a 
mocker ; and strong drink is raging ; 
and whosoever is deceived thereby is 



240 



REVELATION. 



fornication. 

9 And the third angel fol- 
lowed them, saying with a loud 
voice, If any man worship the 



not wise ;" Prov. xx. 1, and xxiii. 
29 ; but in the other, " wine maketh 
glad the heart of man Psa. civ. 15, 
and we are told to give it to "him 
that is ready to perish;" Prov. xxxi. 
6. Wine, like other medicines, if 
used judiciously, will be beneficial ; 
if otherwise, it will be injurious, per- 
haps fatal. We see now why wine 
is made a metaphor for the influence 
of wicked men, as in the passage 
before us ; it is because of its destruc- 
tive qualities when taken in excess. 
It is said of the wicked : " For their 
vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of 
the fields of Gomorrah : their grapes 
are grapes of gall, their clusters are 
bitter : their wine is the poison of 
dragons, and the cruel venom of 
asps;" Deut. xxxii. 32, 33. May 
not this description be justly applied 
to the wine of which Rome made the 
nations drink? The figure of the 
revelator in the verse before us seems 
to have been taken from Jeremiah. 
" Babylon hath been a golden cup in 
the Lord's hand, that made all the 
earth drunken : the nations have 
drunken of her wine; therefore the 
nations are mad;" li. 7. Such, evi- 
dently, was the passage which sug- 
gested the metaphor to the revelator's 
mind. He uses it repeatedly ; see 
xvii. 2, 4. If Of the wrath of her for- 
nication. — Wrath here is put for the 
inflammatory nature of the wine, as 
if the phraseology had been, drink 
of the inflammatory wine of her for- 
nication. If strong drink is raging, 
its qualities may well be described 
by wrath. Fornication, as we have 
repeatedly shown, is used metaphori- 
cally for idolatry. See our remarks 
on ver. 4 of this chapter. Purity in 
worship is represented as chastity, 
virginity ; whereas the worship of 
idols is described by opposite terms. 
Rome made the nations drink of the 



beast and his image, and receive 
his mark in his forehead, or in 
his hand, 

10 The same shall drink of 



inflammatory, raging wine of her 
wickedness. She infuriated them by 
her example, and stimulated them by 
her power. 

9. Third angel. — This again is one 
of the angels of proclamation. The 
first is mentioned ver. 6 ; the second 
ver. 8. If Worship the beast and his 
image. — Tne beast here is the seven- 
headed beast, and his image the same 
as referred to xiii. 15. Worshipping 
the beast and his image means noth- 
ing more than paying allegiance and 
devotion to the beast himself, ^[ Re- 
ceive his mark in his forehead, or in his 
hand. — This is a reference to what 
is said xiii. 16, that the beast, which 
represented the false prophets, or 
teachers of the pagan religion, caused 
all, both small and great, rich and 
poor, free and bond, i. e., all whom 
he could terrify into acquiescence, to 
receive a mark in their right hand, or 
in their foreheads. See the notes on 
that verse. The heathen nations, by 
whom the Jews were surrounded, 
were in the habit of receiving incis- 
ions, or marks, upon their bodies, to 
denote the class of idolaters to which 
they belonged, or the idol whom they 
adored. The Jews were forbidden to 
follow their custom. " Ye shall not 
make any cuttings in your flesh for 
the dead, nor print any marks upon 
you : I am the Lord ;" Lev. xix. 28. 
Horne says, of the heathen : " A more 
frequent, and, indeed, very general 
custom, was the carrying of marks on 
their body in honor of the object of 
their worship. To this day, all the 
castes of the Hindoos bear on their 
foreheads, or elsewhere, what are 
called the sectarian marks, which not 
only distinguish them in a civil, but 
also in a religious point of view, 
from each other. Most of the barbar- 
ous nations lately discovered have 
their faces, arms, breasts, &c, curi- 



CHAPTER XIV. 



241 



the wine of the wrath of God, 



ously carved, or tattooed, probably for 
superstitious purposes. Ancient wri- 
ters abound with accounts of marks 
made on the face, arms, &c, in honor 
of different idols, — and to this the in- 
spired penman alludes, (Rev. xiii. 16, 
17; xiv. 9, 11; xv. 2; xvi. 2; xix. 
20 ; xx. 4,) where false worshippers 
are represented as receiving in their 
hands, and in their forehead, the 
marks of the beast." — Home's Intro., 
Phil. Edition, 1826; Vol. hi., p. 356. 

10. Drink of the nine of the wrath of 
God. — We are now to see the punish- 
ment of those who received the mark 
of the beast in their foreheads, or their 
hands, i. e., of those who gave adher- 
ence wickedly to the power and prac- 
tice of the empire in the persecution 
of the Christians. " The same shall 
drink of the wine of the wrath of 
God," &c. This is a metaphor of the 
Old Testament. The judgments of 
God on wicked men are said to be 
wine in a cup, red with wrath — mixed 
with nothing to dilute it, but with in- 
gredients to make it stronger — which 
is to be drunk, even to the very dregs, 
by those who suffer the severity of 
God's judgments. "But God is the 
judge : he putteth down one and set- 
teth up another. For in the hand of 
the Lord there is a cup, and the wine 
is red ■ it is full of mixture, and he 
poureth out of the same : but the dregs 
thereof, all the wicked of the earth 
shall wring them out, and drink 
them ;" Psalms, lxxv. 7, 8. Again : 
« Awake, awake, stand up, Jerusa- 
lem, which hast drunk at the hand of 
the Lord the cup of his fury ; thou 
hast drunken the dregs of the cup of 
trembling, and wrung them out ;" Isa. 
li. 17. The bold image of the cup of 
God's wrath, often employed by the sa- 
cred writers, is nowhere handled with 
greater force and sublimity than in 
this passage of Isaiah, verses 17 — 23. 
See Lowth on Isa., Note on li. 21. In 
the verse before us, the wine of God's 
judgments is said to be "poured out 
without mixture," i. e., prepared with- 
21 



which is poured out without 



out any diluting or weakening, in the 
cup of his indignation. The enemies 
of the church were obliged to drink 
it; and as Isaiah says, "God made 
them drunk in his fury ;" lxiii. 6. 
To drink of the cup of God's wrath is 
to suffer the judgments which he in- 
flicts on men for their sins. This is 
made clear by Jeremiah : " For thus 
saith the Lord God of Israel unto me ; 
Take the wine-cup of this fury at my 
hand, and cause all the nations, to 
whom I send thee, to drink it. And 
they shall drink, and be moved, and 
be mad, because of the sword that I 
will send among them ;" xxv. 15, 16. 
The wine-cup of God's fury here was 
the judgment of the sword. The fol- 
lowing passage, from the same chap- 
ter, is equally pertinent : "And it 
shall be, if they refuse to take the cup 
at thy hand to drink, then shalt thou 
say unto them, Thus saith the Lord 
of hosts, Ye shall certainly drink. - 
For lo, I begin to bring evil on the 
city which is called by my name, and 
should ye be utterly unpunished ? Ye 
shall not be unpunished : for I will 
call for a sword upon all the inhabit- 
ants of the earth, saith the Lord of 
hosts ;" 28, 29. See, also, Rev. xvi. 
19 ; xviii. 6. God's fury or judg- 
ments ofttimes madden men, and 
are therefore well compared to wine. 
% Tormented with fire and brimstone. — 
This metaphor of fire and brimstone 
I apprehend, had its origin in the 
destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. 
" The Lord rained upon Sodom and 
upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire 
from the Lord out of heaven ;" Gen. 
xix. 24 ; also, Luke xvii. 29. Here 
we have the germ from which the 
constant figure of the sacred writers 
in regard to the punishment of the 
wicked by fire and brimstone grew. 
See, also, Deut. xxix. 23 : — "And that 
the whole land thereof is brimstone, 
and salt, and burning, that it is not 
sown, nor beareth, nor any grass 
groweth therein, like the overthrow 
of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and 



242 



REVELATION. 



mixture into the cup of his in- 1 dignation ; and he shall be tor 



Zeboim, which the Lord overthrew in 
his anger and in his wrath." Being 
thus brought into use by Moses, the 
figure became somewhat common. 
" Upon the wicked he shall rain 
snares, fire and brimstone, and a hor- 
rible tempest : this shall be the portion 
of their cup Psa. xi. 6. The figure 
of "the lake of fire and brimstone" 
we shall consider when we come to 
the 19th, 20th and 21st chapters of 
the Apocalypse. That metaphor oc- 
curs nowhere but in the chapters now 
pointed out. But destruction by fire 
and brimstone, which is similar, is 
of more common occurrence in the 
Scriptures. The destruction of Idu- 
mea is thus described by Isaiah : 
"And the streams thereof shall be 
turned into pitch and the dust thereof 
into brimstone, and the land thereof 
shall become burning pitch. It shall 
not be quenched day nor night ; the 
smoke thereof shall go up forever : 
from generation to generation it shall 
lie waste ; none shall pass through it 
forever and ever;" Isa. xxxiv. 9, 10. 
This punishment of fire and brim- 
stone was not in the immortal state, 
but in the land of Idumea. Fire was 
one of the most common metaphors 
employed by the sacred writers to 
represent divine judgments. It oc- 
curs in all the prophets as well as in 
the books of the New Testament ; but 
there is no proof that these judgments 
are to be endured in the immortal 
state. On the contrary, the language 
employed is often such as to forbid 
such a construction. See, for in- 
stance, Ezk. xxii. 19—22 ■ " There- 
fore, thus saith the Lord God, Because 
ye are all become dross, behold, there- 
fore I will gather you into the midst 
of Jerusalem. As they gather silver, 
and brass, and iron, and lead, in the 
midst of the furnace, to blow the fire 
upon it, to melt it ; so will I gather 
you in mine anger and in my fury, 
and I will leave you there, and melt 
you. Yea, I will gather you, and 
blow upon you in the fire of my wrath, 



and ye shall be melted in the midst 
thereof. As silver is melted in the 
midst of the furnace, so shall ye be 
melted in the midst thereof; and ye 
shall know that I the Lord have 
poured out my fury upon you." It 
is not possible to conceive that this 
description of punishment by fire 
should be in the immortal state ; and 
moreover it is expressly said to have 
been in " the midst of Jerusalem." It 
should be our earnest desire to ascer- 
tain the true sense of the Scriptures 
in these matters. ^[ In the presence of 
the holy angels and in the presence of 
the Lamb. Professor Stuart says, 
these words " must refer the punish- 
ment in question to the future world." 
" That the blessed in heaven have 
cognizance of the wicked and their 
sufferings seems to be plainly dis- 
closed in Luke xvi. 23 — 26. And the 
consciousness on the part of malignant 
persecutors in the world of woe, that 
those whom they had pursued unto 
death were looking down on their tor- 
ments, from a state of inconceivable 
happiness above, would doubtless be 
a circumstance of great aggravation." 
In these remarks we think the learned 
Professor has consulted his creed more 
than the word of God ; and if it be not 
improper for him to offer such sug- 
gestions in the course of a commenta- 
ry on the Apocalypse, it cannot be 
improper for us to consider them in 
this place. He is disposed to give the 
passage a literal interpretation. If 
he affixes to one part a literal sense, 
we see no reason why he should not 
give a like sense to the whole passage. 
What, then, is the scene before us if 
we understand the account literally? 
Men worship literally a beast and his 
image ; they have his mark in their 
hands and on their foreheads ; they 
drink of the wine of the wrath of God 
out of the cup of his indignation ; and 
they are tormented with fire and brim- 
stone in the literal sense, and the' holy 
angels and the Lamb stand and look on 
eternally and contemplate the scene 



CHAPTER XIV. 



243 



mented with fire and brimstone 



Can any person believe that this is to 
be understood in the literal sense? 
If one part should be understood in 
that sense, we see no reason why the 
whole should not. Bat will any person 
take the ground that the whole should 
be so understood ? On our part, we 
hold that the language is metaphori- 
cal ; and that the words "in the pres- 
ence of the holy angels and in the 
presence of the Lamb," are as purely 
metaphorical as any other part. There 
should be a unity preserved in the 
interpretation of the Apocalypse, at 
least as far as possible. When we 
read that men u follow the Lamb 
xiv. 4 ; that " the Lamb stood on 
Mount Zion ;" xiv. 1; that the Lamb 
led the believers to living fountains 
of water; vii, 17 ; that the great mul- 
titude stood before the Lamb ; vii. 9 ; 
and that the four beasts and four-and- 
twenty elders "fell down before the 
Lamb:" v. 8; are we to understand 
these things literally or metaphor- 
ically? Surely we must adopt the 
last-named construction. "Why, then, 
should it be alleged that we must un- 
derstand the language literally when 
we read that the Roman persecutors 
were to be punished in the presence 
of the holy angels and the Lamb? 
The learned professor to whom we 
have referred adduces this as sufficient 
proof that the punishment of the Ro- 
man persecutors shall be in the future 
state. Is it not possible that he may 
not be fully aware of the style in 
which the sacred writers speak of the 
divine presence ? Let us examine a 
few passages in which the expres- 
sions " before God," or " before the 
Lord," and " presence of God," or "of 
the Lord," occur. 1st, Before God, 
means in his sight, or supervision, or 
estimation, in whatever place the thing 
referred to may be done. Nimrod 
was a mighty hunter before God; 
Gen. x. 9 ; evidently not in " the fu- 
ture world." The men of Sodom 
were sinners before God exceedingly ; 
Gen. xiii. 13 : that is, they were sin- 



in the presence of the holy 

ners in his sight, or judgment ; they 
had violated his statutes. 2d. To do 
a thing before God, is to do it with a 
sense of his oversight and of account- 
ability to him. I fell down before 
the Lord, as at the first, forty days 
and forty nights : I did neither eat 
bread, nor drink water, because of all 
your sins which ye sinned, in doing 
wickedly in the sight of the Lord, to 
provoke him to anger;" Deut. ix. 18. 
So the Jews were to eat before God ; 
Idem, 12, 18. The descendants of 
Saul were hanged by the Gibeonites 
before the Lord ; 2 Sam. xxi. 9. This 
certainly was not in " the future 
world." When the enemies were 
driven away by David, and the land 
was given into his hand, it was said 
"the land is subdued before the Lord 
and before his people ;" 1 Chron. xxii. 
18. The Jews, in their sacred festi- 
vals, eat and drank before the Lord j 
Idem, xxix. 22. See, also, Ezek. xliv. 
3. The Psalmist said, "I will walk 
before the Lord in the land of the 
living ;" cxvi. 9 ; which was certainly 
not in " the future world." The back- 
sliding Jews " claimed to have walked 
mournfully before the Lord of hosts ;" 
Mai. iii. 14. Paul gave charge to 
Timothy " before God and the Lord 
Jesus Christ ;" 2 Tim. iv. 1. 3d. Men 
were said to be u before the Lord " when 
they came to the temple to worship 
him, or assembled in any other place 
for the solemn services of prayer and 
praise. " Wherewith shall I come 
before the Lord and bow myself be- 
fore the high God?" Micah vi. 6. 
" When shall I appear before God ?" 
Psa. xlii. 2. " Every one in Zion ap- 
peareth before God;" Psa. Ixxxiv. 7. 
But let us turn for a moment to con- 
sider the intent of the sacred writers 
when they use the word presence. 
God's presence went up with Moses 
out of Egypt ; Exod. xxxiii. 14, 15. 
To be cut off from life was to be cut 
off from the presence of God ; Lev. 
xxii. 3 — a most singular statement 
if men can be found in the presence of 



244 



REVELATION. 



angels, and in the presence of 

God only in " the future world." See, 
also, 2 Kings xiii. 23; xxiv. 20. To 
worship God was to come into his pres- 
ence ; his presence was in the temple ; 
Psa. xcv. 2 ; c. 2. So when the judg- 
ments of God came triumphantly, his 
presence is said to be with them ; Isa. 
xix. 1. When men seek to flee away 
from responsibility, and from the dis- 
charge of" their duty, they are said to 
flee away from the presence of the 
Lord. " Jonah rose up to flee unto 
Tarshish from the presence of the 
Lord." " The men knew that he 
[Jonah] fled from the presence of the 
Lord because he had. told them;" 
Jonah i. 3, 10. These are but a few 
out of the multitude of texts that 
might be quoted to illustrate the 
phraseology of the sacred writers in 
regard to the divine presence. And 
there is one fact to which we desire 
to call special attention, viz., the di- 
vine judgments, above all things else, 
are said to take place in the divine 
presence, even in cases where it is 
known and acknowledged of all men 
that the judgments are in the present 
life. How strictly in agreement is it, 
then, with the style of the sacred wri- 
ters, to represent the punishment of 
the Roman persecutors in fire and 
brimstone, as being " in the presence 
of the holy angels and in the presence 
of the Lamb." We are confident that 
Professor Stuart, if he had looked into 
this subject as impartially and as fully 
as he has into many others, could not 
have regarded this phraseology as 
proof that the punishment must be in 
the future world. " Behold, the Lord 
rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall 
come into Egypt : and the idols of 
Egypt shall be moved at his presence, 
and the heart of Egypt shall melt in 
the midst of it;" Isa. xix. 1. Here 
the presence of the Lord is said 
to accompany his fiery judgments. 
Again : " Oh that thou wouldst rend 
the heavens, that thou wouldst come 
down, that the mountains might flow 
down at thy presence, as when the 



the Lamb 



melting fire burneth, the fire causeth 
the waters to boil, to make thy name 
known to thine adversaries, that the 
nations may tremble at thy presence ! 
When thou didst terrible things which 
we looked not for, thou earnest down, 
the mountains flowed down at thy 
presence ;" Isa. lxiv. 1 — 3. Here, 
again, God's presence accompanies 
his judgments ; these judgments were 
evidently in the present world, on the 
earth. God is said to come, that is, to 
be present, when his enemies are pun- 
ished. This is also true of the Lord 
Jesus Christ. How frequently do we 
read in the New Testament of his 
coming to judge and punish his ene- 
mies. He comes too, with his angels ; 
Matt. xiii. 39, 41, 49 ; xvi. 27 ; xxv. 
31; Mark viii. 38; Luke ix. 36; 2 
Thess. i. 7. Jesus and his angels are 
present in the judgment — i. e., such 
is the figurative language of the Scrip- 
tures. Although Jesus is represented 
under the metaphor of the Lamb to 
show his meekness ; Acts viii. 32 ; and 
to shadow forth the sacrificial charac- 
ter of his death ; Johni. 29 ; 1 Peter i. 
19 ; still he is present also in his judg- 
ments in that character. Hence we 
read of " the wrath of the Lamb ;" 
Rev. vi. 16. Why should we be sur- 
prised, then, to be told, that the tem- 
poral judgments of his enemies are 
inflicted " in the presence of the holy 
angels, and in the presence of the 
Lamb ? " Things manifestly belong- 
ing to this world are said to be done 
in the presence of Jesus and the 
angels. "We are made a spectacle 
unto the world, and to angels, and to 
men;" 1 Cor. iv. 9. Paul to Timo- 
thy said : " I charge thee before God, 
and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the 
elect angels, that thou observe these 
things without preferring one before 
another, doing nothing by partiality ;" 
1 Epis. v. 21. "For what is our 
hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing ? 
Are not even ye in the presence of 
our Lord Jesus Christ at his com- 
ing?" 1 Thess. li. 19. Thus we see 



CHAPTER XIV. 



245 



11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever 



that as the angels and the Lamb are 
said metaphorically to be present to 
observe the doings of men on earth, 
and especially in the infliction of judg- 
ments, nothing could be more nat- 
ural than to speak of those judgments 
as being inflicted in their presence. 
If there are any, after all, who suppose 
that the wine of the wrath of God 
is to be administered to the Roman 
persecutors in the immortal or post- 
mortem state, let them observe, that 
the voice from heaven said to the 
seven angels who had the seven last 
plagues, in which was filled up the 
wrath of God, (xv. 1,) " Go your ways, 
and pour out the vials of the wrath 
of God upon the earthP (xvi. 1.) This 
is the fulfilment of what is predicted 
xiv. 10. The wrath of God is de- 
scribed as an infuriating liquid, in xiv. 
10, and there said to be contained in 
a cup ; but in xv. 7, and xvi. 1, it is 
represented as being in vials. In xvi. 
19, the revelator goes back to the 
figure of the cup again: "And great 
Babylon ( Rome) came in remem- 
brance before God, to give unto her 
the cup of the wine of the fierceness 
of his wrath." The metaphor of the 
succeeding verse (xvi. 20) is precisely 
such as was applied to temporal pun- 
ishments, vi. 14. To sum up in a 
few words : the wine of the wrath of 
God, mentioned xiv. 10, has seven 
vials prepared to receive it ; see xv. 
1 ; these vials " full of the wrath of 
God" are put into the hands of the 
seven angels ; see xv. 7 ; and these 
angels were directed to pour them out 
upon the earth; xvi. 1. That this is 
the same thing as the cup of the wine 
of God's wrath is fully proved by xvi. 
19. And what the plagues of the 
seven vials were is distinctly shown 
in xviii. 8: "Therefore shall her 
plagues come in one day, death, and 
mourning, and famine ; and she shall 
be utterly burned with fire : for strong 
is the Lord God who judgeth her." 
These judgments are of such a nature 
that they must certainly have been 
21* 



endured on the earth. For further 
remarks I direct the reader to the 
comments on xix. 20, where similar 
phraseology from the pen of the reve- 
lator is found. We submit it, then, to 
the candid reader, whether it afford 
any proof that punishment must be in 
the future state, merely because it is 
said to take place " in the presence of 
the holy angels, and the presence of 
the Lamb." Observe, the question 
here is not whether the doctrine of 
future punishment be true ; that ques- 
tion we have discussed nowhere in 
this Commentary, neither shall we 
discuss it. The question simply has 
been, whether the verse before us 
(Rev. xiv. 10) refers to a future state 
of punishment. For further remarks, 
see our note on verse 20 of this chap- 
ter. 

1 1 . The smoke of their torment ascend- 
eth up. — This is but a continuation 
of the imagery ; it adds nothing to the 
fact. As the punishment had been 
represented as being in fire and brim- 
stone, it was natural for the revelator 
to heighten his imagery by speaking 
of the smoke ascending, \ Forever 
and ever. — The term " forever and 
ever" is very frequently applied in 
the Scriptures to the continuance of 
temporal things, without any refer- 
ence to the future state. It is the 
translation of one of the combinations 
of the Greek word aion, which does 
not necessarily signify endless dura- 
tion. In fact, there seems no room to 
doubt, that this expression of the rev- 
elator was borrowed from Isaiah's 
description of the punishment of Idu- 
mea, in which it is said, " the smoke 
thereof shall go up forever ;" chap, 
xxxiv. 10 ; or, as the revelator has it, 
'■ The smoke of their torment ascend- 
eth up forever and ever." It is cer- 
tain that the punishment of Idumea 
was on the earth; and by what sound 
rule of interpretation can we apply 
the language of the revelator to the 
immortal state, if we apply that of 
Isaiah to the destruction of Idumea ? 



/ 



246 



REVELATION. 



d ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who wor- 



The above argument seems to us con- 
clusive ; and therefore we add nothing 
further in this place ; but as to the 
fact that aion in all its forms is used 
to describe the continuance of tempo- 
ral judgments, we might, if necessary, 
extend the proofs and illustrations to 
great length. So far was the argu- 
ment extended, in the form in which 
cur Commentary on the Apocalypse 
was first published. But we esteem 
it proper here, where we have more 
room, to extend it. Any person who 
looks at the common version alone, 
must be satisfied that no dependence 
can be placed on the phrase " forever 
and ever" to prove the endless dura- 
tion of punishment. We do not deny 
that it is sometimes used to signify 
endless duration ; it is equally appar- 
ent that it is also used in cases where 
it cannot have that sense. The force 
to be given to the phrase must there- 
fore depend, in all cases, on the sub- 
ject to which it is applied. That it is 
frequently used in the limited sense 
will be made certain to the mind of 
every person who will carefully con- 
sider the following facts. We will ana- 
lyze the expression, and consider the 
Scriptural use, 1st of Ever, 2d of For- 
ever, and 3d of Forever and ever. And, 
1st, Ever : The fire was everburning 
on the altar ; Lev. vi. 13 ; David ever 
had a sense of his sins ; Psa. li. 3 ; the 
word is applied to the threshing of 
corn ; Isa. xxviii. 28 ; to the continu- 
ance of the bounds of Zion, xxxiii. 20 ; 
the brother of the prodigal was ever 
with his father : Luke xv. 31 ; Jesus 
ever taught in the synagogue ; John 
xviii. 20 — which could not have been 
longer than his life at the most ; and 
some were ever learning and never 
coming to the knowledge of the truth 5 
2 Tim. iii. 7. From these quotations it 
must be evident to every person, that 
the word ever is frequently used in the 
common version in cases where end- 
less duration was not intended. 2d, 
Forever : This word is used in so 
many instances where the sense can- 



not be that of endless duration, that 
we shall hardly do justice to the whole 
by the few references we shall make. 
It is applied to the Jewish possession 
of the land of Canaan ; Gen. xiii. 15 ; 
Exod. xxxii. 13 ; Josh. xiv. 9 — to the 
Mosaic ordinances ■ Exod. xii. 14, 24 ; 
Numbers x. 8 — to the bondage of 
the Hebrew slaves ; Exod. xxi. 6 ; 
Lev. xxv. 46 ; Deut. xv. 17 — to the 
ownership of a house ; Lev. xxv. 30 
— to a structure of stones, a monu- 
mental memorial • Josh. iv. 7 — to the 
continuance of the disease of leprosy 
in a family ; 2 Kings v. 27, &c. &c. 
&c. What can be more plain, than 
that the Jews were accustomed to 
use the phrase forever in application 
to things of known and undeniable 
earthly character that long ago had an 
end? If, then, both the phrases, ever 
and forever, are unquestionably used 
separately in numerous instances, 
in cases where only earthly or limit- 
ed duration could have been intended, 
can it be possible that when they 
are combined, they invariably signi- 
fy endless duration? On the con- 
trary, it is certain that forever and ever 
is used where nothing but earthly or 
limited duration is intended. See the 
following : 3d, Forever and ever : 
This phrase is applied by the sacred 
writers to earthly life, or "length of 
days;" Psa. xxi. 4 — to the duration 
of a book; Isa. xxx. 8 — to the resi- 
dence of the Jews in Canaan ; Jer. vii. 
7 : xxv. 5 ; out of which they were 
long ago expelled; and also to the 
temporal punishment of Idumea, the 
streams of which were turned into 
pitch, the dust thereof into brimstove, 
and the land thereof was made "burn- 
ing pitch." This judgment is de- 
scribed as having been by fire and 
brimstone ; and yet the merest tyro 
in Scripture criticism would know, 
that it was simply a highly wrought 
metaphor to describe the desolation 
produced in the land by the judgments 
of God. "It shall not be quenched 
night nor day; the smoke thereof 



CHAPTER XIV. 



247 



ship the beast and his image, [mark of his name. 



and whosoever receiveth the 



shall go up forever ; from generation 
to generation it shall lie waste : none 
shall pass through it forever and 
ever. But the cormorant and the 
bittern shall possess it; the owl also 
and the raven shall dwell in it : and 
he shall stretch out upon it the line 
of confusion, and the stones of empti- 
ness. They shall call the nobles 
thereof to the kingdom, but none shall 
be there, and all her princes shall be 
nothing. And thorns shall come up 
in her palaces, nettles and brambles 
in the fortresses thereof: and it shall 
be a habitation of dragons, and a 
court for owls;" Isa. xxxiv. 10 — 13. 
This punishment, although it was 
said to endure forever and ever, we 
know cannot be in the future and 
immortal world ; but was a temporal 
judgment on a section of the sinful 
earth. " It would be very unreasona- 
ble (say the editors of the Improved 
Version) to infer the gloomy doctrine 
of eternal misery from the loose and 
figurative language of a prophetic 
vision, in opposition to the plainest 
dictates of reason and justice, and to 
the whole tenor of divine revelation. 
But if any one is disposed to lay 
undue stress upon this text, it may 
be sufficient to remark, that it is not 
here asserted that the torment con- 
tinues, but that the smoke of it 
ascends forever and ever. The smoke 
of a pile in which a criminal has 
been condemned may continue to 
ascend long after the wretched vic- 
tim has ceased to suffer. And a 
memorial of the punishment which 
has been inflicted on vice may remain 
long after vice itself has been utter- 
ly exterminated. After all, as the 
prophecy relates wholly to the states 
of things in the present world, the 
punishments threatened ought, in all 
reason, to be understood of temporal 
punishments, and not of the suffer- 
ings of a future life. So in Jude, 
ver. 7, Sodom and Gomorrah are rep- 
resented as suffering the vengeance 



12 Here is the patience of 



of eternal fire, i. e.. of a temporal 
calamity, a fire which completely 
destroyed them." Note on Rev. xiv. 
11. As the case of Sodom and 
Gomorrah is here referred to. and as 
it is a similar case to that of the 
Roman persecutors spoken of in the 
Apocalypse, we give the opinion of 

' the learned Dr. "Whitby, himself a 
strong believer in endless misery, as 
to the extent of the torment intended 
by the phrase " eternal fire." " That 
this is spoken not of the cities them- 
selves, but of the inhabitants which 
dwelt in them, — that is, of them 
who had given themselves over to forni- 
cation, and gone after strange flesh, — 
is evident; but yet I conceive they 
are said to suffer the vengeance of 
eternal fire, not because their souls are 
at present punished in hell fire, but 

I because they, and their cities, per- 
ished from that fire from heaven, 
which brought a perpetual and irrep- 

I arable destruction on them and their 

j cities." " To deigma, an example, 

' is to be taken from something visible 
to. or knowable by, all who were to 
be terrified by it, especially when it is 
an example manifested and proposed. 
Now such was not the punishment 
of their souls in hell fire ; but noth- 
ing was more known and celebrated 
among authors, sacred and profane, 
Jewish, Christian, and heathen wri- 
ters, than the fire that fell down upon 

I Pentapolis, or the five cities of Sodom, 
they being mentioned still in Scrip- 

| ture as the cities which God over- 
threw with a perpetual desolation." 

— See Whitby's Com. on Jude, ver. 7. 
12. Here is the patience of the saints. 

— That is, the worshippers of the 
beast are put down ■ they are de- 
stroyed ; they can aid in the persecu- 

\ tion of the Christians no more ; this 
, is the cause of the patience of the 

saints, and of those who keep the 
! commandments of God and the faith 

of Jesus. In xiii. 10, we found sim- 
I ilar words : " Here is the patience 



248 



REVELATION. 



the saints : here are they that 
keep the commandments of God, 



and the faith of the saints referring 
back to the preceding words, viz., the 
punishment of the Roman persecu- 
tors. So in the words before us, 
the allusion is to the preceding words, 
and to the punishment of the Roman 
persecutors, as described in verses 
9—11. 

13. Voice from heaven. — Any com- 
munication from heaven to men was 
said to come by the voice of the 
Lord from heaven, even when no 
words were actually spoken. Voice 
is often used metaphorically, as of 
Abel's blood ; Gen. iv. 10 ; voice of a 
sign ; Exod. iv. 8 ; the thunder is 
God's voice ; Job xxxvii. 4, 5 ; xl. 9, 
&cc, &c. Blessed are the dead who 
die in the Lord. — This passage is 
difficult of construction, as is agreed 
by persons of all sects. There are 
several questions of great importance 
involved : 1st. In what sense are the 
dead here mentioned? Are they the 
dead to sin, such as have been cruci- 
fied with Christ? or are they the 
actually and literally dead? 2d. 
Why is it said, blessed are they from 
henceforth ? The other questions, 3d. 
In what sense do they rest from their 
labors ? and 4th. In what sense do 
their works follow them? depend 
much on the answer given to the first 
question. The usual interpretation 
of the passage is: "Blessed are the 
dead who die (i. e., pass away from 
the world) from henceforth, as it will 
be a time of great persecution, and 
the dead in Christ are to be regarded 
as happy rather than the living. 
Yea, saith the Spirit, for they are 
relieved from their sufferings, and 
their works follow them to the im- 
mortal state, where they will be suita- 
bly rewarded. But it is fatal to this 
interpretation, that it was not a time 
of persecution of the church that the 
revelator was describing, but the time 
of the punishment of the enemies of 
Christianity, and their final over- 



and the faith of Jesus. 

13 And I heard a voice from 



throw. Lightfoot says: "And now, 
as in the 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th 
chapters, the relation is concerning 
those things that should be against 
the church, — from henceforth the 
prophecy is more especially of things 
that make for the church and against 
her enemies' works;" iii. 351. Ex- 
amine the context, and the truth of 
this will be seen. "Babylon is fall- 
en, is fallen ;" ver. 8. The wor- 
shippers of the beast are made to 
drink of the wine of the wrath of God, 
and are tormented with fire and 
brimstone ; ver. 10 ; evidently de- 
scribing the fall of the persecutors. 
" Here is the patience of the saints 
ver. 12 • i. e., this has caused the 
patience of the saints, and of those 
that keep the commandments of God 
and the faith of Jesus. And then fol- 
low the words : " Blessed are the 
dead which die in the Lord from hence- 
forth ;" i. e., it seems to us, things 
are to be different henceforth from 
what they have been heretofore. The 
past has been a time of persecution ; 
but soon the power of the persecutor 
will be broken ; and from that time, 
from henceforth, the Christians will be 
blessed ; they will have rest, when 
their persecutors are overthrown, and 
their works of triumph shall attend 
them wherever they go. Blessed are 
the dead in Christ, those who are 
crucified with him " from henceforth^ 
— from the time the revelator was 
describing, — because the power of 
the oppressoi was broken. Blessed, 
in a peculiar manner, are those who 
become united to Christ from that 
time ; for they rest from their labors, 
viz., their toils and sufferings, whereas 
previous to this time the Christians 
had been compelled to surfer great 
afflictions and some of them horrid 
deaths. But from the time that the 
reve ] a or was describing, they were 
to have a season of comparative 
peace, and their works, their glorious 



CHAPT 

heaven, saying unto me, Write, 

works, would not be prevented, but 
would attend them wherever they 
might go. 

It is settled beyond all dispute, that 
death is used in "the Scriptures in the 
literal, and also in the metaphorical, 
or moral sense. It is equally well 
settled, that even in the moral sense 
the distinction is subdivided, for we 
read both of a death in sin and a 
death to sin. Take a few examples, 
from the Scriptures, of the use of the 
figure in both senses. " Shall die in 
his iniquity;" Ezk. hi. 19; "Die in 
his iniquity ;" xviii. IS ; " Die in 
your sins ;" John viii. 21 ; " Dead in 
trespasses and sins ;" Eph. ii. 45 ; 
"Being dead in your sins;" Col. ii. 
13. For the other sense, viz., death 
to sin, see the following : " Know ye 
not. that so many of us as were bap- 
tized into Christ, were baptized into 
his death?" Rom. vi. 3 ; '-Knowing 
this, that our old man is crucified 
with him, that the body of sin might 
be destroyed, that henceforth we 
should not serve sin ;" ver. 6 ; " Like- 
wise reckon ye also yourselves to be 
dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto 
God, through Jesus Christ our Lord 
ver. 11 ; " Wherefore, if ye be dead 
with Christ from the rudiments of the 
world, why, as though living in the 
world, are ye subject to ordinances ;" 
Col. ii. 20 ; " It is a faithful saying : 
For if we be dead with him, we 
shall also live with him ;" 2 Tim. ii. 
11 ; " Who his own self bare our sins 
in his own body on the tree, that we, 
being dead to sins, should live unto 
righteousness ;" 1 Peter ii. 24. These 
passages make it abundantly evident, 
that believers are said to be in a 
state of moral death — death to sin. 
They are said to be in Christ. " If 
any man be in Christ, he is a new 
creature;" 2 Cor. v. 17. They are 
said to be dead with him ; to be cru- 
cified with him ; to be buried with 
him ; to be " baptized into his death/'' 
According to these figures of speech, 
to die in the Lord is to die to sin in 



3R XIV. 249 
Blessed are the dead which die 



him, in his faith, and his spirit, — to be 
buried with him by spiritual baptism. 
The revelator had spoken of the dead 
in error and sin, in xi. 18: "And 
thy wrath is come, and the time of the 
dead that they should be judged," 
&c. ; i. e., the time of their judgment 
had come. In the case before us, he 
speaks of the other class of the dead, 
viz., the dead in the Lord, those who 
had been buried with him by baptism 
into his death. "Blessed are the 
dead who die in the Lord from hence- 
forth;" i. e., as the power of the 
oppressor was contemplated as bro- 
ken, — as Babylon was contemplated 
as fallen, — as the worshippers of the 
beast were tormented, — so the Chris- 
tians for a time would enjoy peace. 
Blessed, then, from henceforth, (said 
the revelator,) are those who shall 
die in the Lord; meaning, as we 
think, after the sense in which Paul 
sets forth the matter to the Romans, 
chap. vi. 

For they rest from their labors, 
(Kopon,) their toils, trials and troubles. 
This rest was precisely what the 
Christians were promised when their 
enemies were put down. In fact, all 
Christians are said, in a certain sense, 
to rest from their works. See the 
words of St. Paul : " There remaineth, 
I therefore, a rest to the people of God. 
For he that is entered into his rest, he 
also hath ceased from his own works, 
(ton ergon,) as God did from his ;" 
Heb. iv. 9, 10. Do we not find 
something here parallel to the passage 
in Revelations ? When that great 
persecutor Saul was converted. " then 
had the churches rest throughout all 
Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria;" 
Acts ix. 31. The Thessalonians had 
suffered for the kingdom of God's 
sake. The time of the destruction 
of their enemies was about to come ; 
and Paul said to them, " And to you 
who are troubled, rest with us, when 
the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from 
heaven," &c, itc. ; 2 Thess. i. 7. 
They rested from their labors and 



250 



REVELATION. 



in the Lord from henceforth : Yea, saith the Spirit, that they 



sufferings when their enemies were 
punished ; and this, it seems to us, is 
precisely the idea given in Rev. xiv. 
13 : " Blessed are they who die in the 
Lord from henceforth" from the time 
of the overthrow of Christ's enemies. 
" Yea, saith the Spirit, for they rest 
from their labors," as the churches 
had rest at the conversion of Saul, 
and as the Christians generally had 
rest at the time the kingdom of Christ 
came with power, and he took ven- 
geance on his enemies. For their 
works do follow them ; — or go with 
them. They held fast their faith, and 
their efforts were crowned with suc- 
cess. The revelator was obliged to 
reprove the church at Ephesus, be- 
cause it had forsaken its first works ; 
Rev. ii. 15 ; which they were required 
to keep unto the end. " And he that 
overcometh, and keepeth my works 
unto the end, to him will I give 
power over the nations ;" Rev. ii. 26. 
Here it is evident that the Christians 
were required to be faithful ; and in 
being so, their good works continually 
went with them. Some were faith- 
less, and did not do their first works. 
David said, " Surely goodness and 
mercy shall follow me all the days of 
my life : and I will dwell in the house 
of the Lord forever;" Psa. xxiii. 6; 
i. e., goodness and mercy shall attend 
me wherever I go. The works of 
the faithful Christians, the fame of 
their works, and the power of them, 
attended them wherever they went. 
This was precisely the case with the 
early faithful Christians, when they 
rested so far from their labors and 
sufferings that they could work to 
advantage in the cause of Christ. 
See the words of Mark: "And these 
signs shall follow them that believe, 
[their works shall follow them :] In 
my name shall they cast out devils; 
they shall speak with new tongues ; 
they shall take up serpents ; and if 
they drink any deadly thing, it shall 
not hurt them ; they shall lay hands 
on the siek, and they shall recover. 



So, then, after the Lord had spoken 
unto them, he was received up into 
heaven, and sat on the right hand of 
God. And they went forth, and 
preached everywhere, the Lord work- 
ing with them, and confirming the 
word with signs following xvi. 
17 — 20. The Greek word translated 
" works " in Rev. xiv. 13, is applied 
to the wonderful works of Christ and 
his apostles in repeated instances. 
John heard while in prison the works 
of Christ ; Matt. xi. 2. Jesus was a 
prophet " mighty in deed (en ergo) 
and word ;" Luke xxiv. 19. See, also, 
John v. 20, 36; vii.. 3; x. 25, 38, in 
all which places the word is ergon. 
" Blessed are the dead who die in the 
Lord [the Christians who are dead to 
sin while in Christ] from henceforth : 
[because the power of the persecutor 
is broken ;] Yea, saith the Spirit, 
for they rest from their labors,'* 
their toils and sufferings, as the 
Thessalonian Christians rested when 
Christ came to take vengeance on 
his enemies ; " and their works do 
follow them ;" i. e., if they are faith- 
ful, the fame of their purity and their 
wonderful deeds, as signs of their 
faith, shall attend them wherever 
they go. This seems to us to be a 
reasonable construction of the pas- 
sage. It is based upon facts that we 
know did exist ; and the language 
emplo} T ed in describing those facts is 
similar, in other parts of the ISew 
Testament, to the language of the 
passage before us. We are sustained 
therefore in our view by the analogy 
of interpretation. But in addition to 
all, we think the force of the context 
leads directly to the construction we 
have given. The hour of God*s judg- 
ment was announced as having come • 
verse 7. The revelator then pro- 
claims, " Babylon is fallen, is fallen ;" 
ver. 8 ; and then follows an account 
of the punishment of the persecutors 
of Christianity, who were tormented 
with fire and brimstone in the pres- 
ence of the holy angels, and of the 



CHAPTER XIV. 



251 



may rest from their labors ; and 



Lamb ; and these had no rest day nor 
night, vers. 10, 11. This had given 
patience to the saints, ver. 12. Then 
follow immediately the words, " Bles- 
sed are the dead who die in the Lord 
from henceforth : Yea, saith the Spir- 
it, for they rest [the worshippers of the 
beast had no rest] from their labors, 
and their works do follow them." 
Why should the want of rest to the 
persecutors be considered as belong- 
ing to this world, and the rest enjoyed 
by the Christians as belonging to the 
immortal state ? Would the context 
lead us to apply the passage to that 
state ? We think not. 

Certain other considerations deserve 
our attention in this place. Did not 
the Christians rest from their labors 
in this life, when their enemies were 
destroyed ? Did not their works fol- 
low them in this life, when, by the 
overthrow of their persecutors, they 
were enabled to persevere in their du- 
ty without hindrance ? If such things 
actually transpired in this world, why 
need we seek for the fulfilment of the 
passage in the future state? But 
there seem to us to be some difficul- 
ties in applying the passage to the 
future state, which have not been 
generally apprehended. Why should 
it be said the Christians rest from 
their toils in the state of the dead 
more than others? Do not all men 
rest from their toils there? Death, 
surely, is a state of rest to all. And 
besides, what idea can we get of 
men's works following them, or going 
with them into the immortal world ? 
The common idea is that the works 
follow them there in the shape of re- 
wards. But this is certainly a very 
strange construction ; for there is not 
one word said in the verse about re- 
rcird that we can discover. But on 
our construction of the passage, the 
meaning seems rational. The Chris- 
tians, when their enemies were put 
down, rested from their toils, but their 
enemies had no rest, day nor night ; 
and as to the former, their works fol- 



their works do follow them. 

lowed with them, i. e., they were 
enabled, by the abatement of perse- 
cution, to preach the gospel and labor 
more diligently, and do those works 
which followed such as truly believed 
wheresoever they travelled. But if, 
after all, the reader supposes, that to 
•''die in the Lord" signifies to pass 
into the immortal state, then let him 
consider the following remarks, pub- 
lished about three years since, by 
Rev. Asher Moore, of Philadelphia : 
" But here we shall be reminded 
that there is an important part of the 
passage, concerning which we have 
thus far said nothing : — 'And their 
works do follow them.'' Are we to con- 
clude from this expression that the 
works of the persons spoken of ac- 
tually follow them into the future state 
of existence, and there continue with 
them ? What are the works of men 
in this world? even the best of men 
— the very martyrs to the cause of 
Christ ? The voice of inspiration de- 
clares, and all human experience con- 
firms the fact, that ' all have sinned 
and come short of the glory of GodJ 
And let us suppose that a company 
of the best men have passed away 
from this life, and now stand before 
God in the spiritual world. Their 
works are with them, and these works 
are exhibited in the presence of the 
Almighty. Well, what is the amount 
of these works ? To say nothing in 
regard to an eternal weight of merit, let 
us inquire whether these godly men 
have in all respects ever performed 
their duty ? If they have in any wise 
been remiss in simple duty, it is in 
vain to talk of their great merit. Our 
Saviour said to his immediate disci- 
ples : ' When ye shall have done all 
those things which are commanded 
you, say, We are unprofitable ser- 
vants ; we have done that which was 
our duty to do.' But this company 
of good men cannot even say that 
they have done their duty ; and they 
are therefore worse than unprofitable, 
Their best deeds fall far short of the 



252 



REVELATION. 



14 And I looked, and behold, 
a white cloud, and upon the 
cloud one sat like unto the Son 

perfect righteousness required by the 
divine law ; while their si?is are many 
and great. And though just and true, 
compared with other men, they are 
obliged to confess, after all, that sal- 
vation is not of works, but the free 
gift of God's grace ! But we do not 
believe that the revelator meant, in 
the passage before us, to furnish any 
information concerning works that 
follow men into the spiritual and im- 
mortal world. The works of a man 
may follow him, and be known in the 
world, after he has ceased from his 
labors. Thus, St. Paul says of right- 
eous Abel, Heb. xi. 4: 'By faith 
Abel offered unto God a more excel- 
lent sacrifice than Cain, by which he 
obtained witness that he was right- 
eous, God testifying of his gifts : and 
by it, he, being dead, yet speaketh.' 
Now, in the very same sense that 
Abel's speech continued after he was 
dead, did the works of the persons 
mentioned by St. John follow them. 
Being dead, they yet work; and the 
fruits of their labors are seen and 
known and enjoyed wherever man is 
blessed with the hopes and comforts 
of that religion, in behalf of which 
they did not count their lives dear 
unto themselves. Though they were 
put to death, their works were not 
destroyed ; but their influence still 
continues, as Abel speaks by his right- 
eous example to the sons of men. 
Solomon says, 'The memory of the 
just is blessed.' It lives in the hearts 
of posterity. And while we witness 
the continuance of the faithful labors 
of those devoted and self-sacrificing 
servants of God who laid down their 
lives in the service of Christ, we re- 
vere their toils, and cherish their 
memory with grateful feelings. Their 
works live with us ; and while c the 
name of the wicked shall rot,' the 
righteous shall be held in everlasting 
remembrance." 



of man. having on his head a 
golden crown, and in his hand 
a sharp sickle. 

14. Behold, a white cloud. — It is a 
very common figure in the Bible to 
speak of God coming in the clouds. 
His descent at the giving of the law 
was in a cloud, which veiled him from 
the sight of the people ; Exod. xvi. 10 ; 
xix. 9 ; xxxiv. 5. He accompanied 
Israel in a pillar of cloud by day, and 
of fire by night, the latter being more 
distinctly visible in the darkness. God, 
it is said, maketh the clouds his char- 
iot j Psa. civ. 3 ; and hence saith 
Isaiah : " Behold, the Lord rideth up- 
on a swift cloud, and shall come into 
Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall 
be moved at his presence, and the 
heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst 
of it ;" xix. 1. The coming of Christ 
to judgment, after the custom of the 
ancient Jewish writers, is said to be 
in the clouds. So Daniel prophesied 
of the coming of the Son of man ; vii. 
13. So Christ himself described his 
coming : Matt. xxiv. 30 ; and the same 
figure is used in the communication 
to the revelator ; i. 7. Son of man. 
— The revelator having shown that 
the persecutors of the church and 
worshippers of the beast had no rest, 
day nor night, but were to be de- 
stroyed, while the Christians rested 
from their labors and toils, he pro- 
ceeds to speak further of the judg- 
ment of these persecutors under the 
figure of a harvest ; and in the first 
place he describes the reaper. The 
Son of man appears upon a cloud, 
having on his head a crown, (as king 
in Zion,) and having in his hand a 
sharp sickle. He who hath the sickle 
is the reaper, and the sign of the 
sickle shows that the harvest is ripe. 
The coming of the Son of man took 
place at the end of the Jewish age, oi 
world, when he rendered to men ac- 
cording to their works ; Matt. xvi. 
27, 28. 

15. Another angel came out of the 
temple. — Lightfoot states, "It is ob- 



CHAPTER XIV. 



253 



15 And another angel came 
out of the temple, crying with 
a loud voice to him that sat on 
the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, 
and reap : for the time is come 

servable that the word for reaping of 
the earth comes out from the temple ; 
yea, though Christ have the sickle in 
his hand, yet an angel out of the tem- 
ple calls to him to reap ; and another 
angel comes out of the temple with a 
sickle ; and a third out of the temple 
calls to him to reap. As this may 
be understood to doctrinal informa- 
tion, that the cries and urgencies of 
the church to Christ stir him up to 
avenge them on their enemies, (Luke 
xviii. 7,) so the expressions may be 
explained by an allusive application. 
The putting in of the first sickle, to 
reap the first corn in Judea, was by 
the word and warrant of the priests 
and rulers sitting in the temple; and 
they that were to reap, when they 
were come to the corn, put not in the 
sickle, till the word was given — 
Reap."— (Works iii. 351, 352.) Hence 
the angel that came out of the temple 
cries to him that sat on the cloud, 
(who seems to be waiting for the 
command,) " Thrust in thy sickle and 
reap." Harvest of the earth is ripe. 
— The ripeness of the harvest de- 
notes that the people were exceedingly 
wicked, and that the full time of their 
destruction had come. See the lan- 
guage of Joel, which the revelator 
seems to have copied. " Put ye in 
the sickle, for the harvest is ripe : 
come, get you down ; for the press is 
full, the fats overflow ; for their wick- 
edness is great;" Joel iii. 13. This 
settles the point, that by the ripeness 
of the harvest is intended that the 
enemies of the church had filled up 
the measure of their iniquities, and 
nothing remained to them but to be 
destroyed. But once more : " For 
thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God 
of Israel ; the daughter of Babylon is 
like a threshing-floor, it is time to 
thresh her : yet a little while, and the 
22 



for thee to reap ; for the harvest 
of the earth is ripe. 

16 And he that sat on the 
cloud thrust in his sickle on the 
earth; and the earth was reaped. 

time of her harvest shall come ;" Jei\ 
li. 33. The same figure was employed 
to describe the punishment of the 
Jews. " The harvest is the end of 
the world [or age] and the reapers are 
the angels;" Matt. xiii. 39. "As 
therefore the tares are gathered and 
burned in the fire, so shall it be in the 
end of this world. The Son of man 
shall send forth his angels, and they 
shall gather out of his kingdom all 
things that offend, and them which 
do iniquity ; and shall cast them into 
a furnace of fire ; there shall be wail- 
ing and gnashing of teeth ;" 40 — 42. 
Such was the description of the punish- 
ment of the Jews. The fire in which 
they were burned was a metaphor to 
represent the judgments that fell upon 
their city. " The Lord's fire is in 
Zion and his furnace in Jerusalem;" 
Isaiah xxxi. 9 ; and we have already 
showed that Jerusalem was described 
as a furnace, and the people as metals 
that were to be gathered therein, and 
melted and purified as gold and silver 
by the fire. See Ezk. xxii. 19—22, 
already quoted. 

16. And the earth was reaped. — 
How appropriate, in view of all that 
we have said, was it to represent 
the destruction of the Romans by the 
reaping of the harvest. This destruc- 
tion did not perhaps fall upon them 
all at once ; but it was to happen at 
no very distant day, and formed a 
part of the divine plan of operations 
in ushering the gospel into the world. 
Let us proceed now to the considera- 
tion of the metaphor of the vintage. 

17. Another angel came out of the 
temple. — The same form of the scene- 
ry is kept up. The second angel with 
the sickle comes from the temple like 
the first. The sickles in both cases 
were sharp and ready for service. 
The same facts which had been rep- 



254 



REVELATION. 



17 And another angel came 
out of the temple which is in 
heaven, he also having a sharp 
sickle. 

18 And another angel came 
out from the altar, which had 

resented under the metaphor of the 
harvest, are now to be represented 
under the figure of the vintage. 

18. Angel came out from the altar. 
— This is one of the angels of the 
elements ; see the classification men- 
tioned in our note under v. 2. He 
comes from the altar, where fire was 
kept continually burning. ^ Power 
over fire. — That is, the fire of the altar. 
" The fire shall ever be burning upon 
the altar ; it shall never go out ;" Lev. 
vi. 13. \ Cried with a loud cry. — 
All the voices from heaven, and from 
the temple, (and these terms are some- 
times used synonymously,) are de- 
scribed as voices of great power ; for 
the reason that they are effective, 
majestic, and command the obedience 
of all men. The thunder is some- 
times described as God's voice ; Job 
xxxvii. 4, 5 ; Psa. Ixxvii. 18 ; civ. 7. 
God's voice is a mighty voice ; Psa. 
lxviii. 33. Any voice announcing 
just recompense for sin seems to have 
been called the voice of the Lord ; 
Isa. lxvi. 6. The voice of the Lord is 
like the sound of many waters, as of 
the roaring sea, or a mighty cataract. 
Such a comparison is truly sublime. 
See Ezk. i. 24 ; xliii. 2. It was as 
the voice of a multitude ; Dan. x. 6 ; 
which shakes not only the earth, but 
heaven also; Heb. xii. 26. These 
metaphors and comparisons are all 
employed by the revelator. See i. 
15; v. 2, 12; viii. 13; x. 3; xi. 15; 
xii. 10 ; xiv. 2 ; xvi. 17. % Thrust in 
thy sharp sickle. — Here the command 
comes from the temple again, before 
the gathering of the clusters was com- 
menced. T[ Vine of the earth. — What 
is the accustomed metaphorical use 
which the sacred writers make of the 
vine ? We will see. The cultivation 
of the vine was early known. It was 



power over fire ; and cried with 
a loud voice to him that had the 
sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in 
thy sharp sickle, and gather the 
clusters of the vine of the earth ; 
for her grapes are fully ripe. 

transplanted from place to place, and 
with proper care might even be carried 
a great distance without losing its 
life. Hence it was used to represent 
a people removed from one place to 
another. The Jews were a vine, 
brought out of Egypt, carried to Ca- 
naan, and planted there, after the 
heathen were driven out. " Thou hast 
brought a vine out of Egypt: thou 
hast cast out the heathen and planted 
it. Thou preparedst room before it, 
and didst cause it to take deep root, 
and it filled the land. The hills were 
covered with the shadow of it, and 
the boughs thereof were like the good- 
ly cedars. She sent out her boughs 
unto the sea, and her branches unto 
the river;" Psa. lxxx. 8 — 11. Isaiah 
speaks of a vineyard which God 
planted. He looked for good grapes, 
and behold it brought forth wild 
grapes. The prophet explains his 
allegory by saying : " For the vine- 
yard of the Lord of hosts is the house 
of Israel, and the men of Judah his 
pleasant plant : and he looked for 
judgment, but behold oppression ; for 
righteousness, but behold a cry Isa. 
v. 7. Jeremiah says to Israel, "Yet 
I had planted thee a noble vine, 
wholly a right seed; how then art 
thou turned into the degenerate plant 
of a strange vine unto me?" ii. 21. 
See, also, Hosea x. 1. It is apparent, 
then, that the prophets used the met- 
aphor of the vine to represent the 
house of Israel, or nation of the Jews. 
In the Apocalypse, the vine stands 
for the Eomans, and occurs only in 
xiv. 18, 19. If Her grapes are fully 
ripe. — This denotes that the wicked- 
ness of the people was full. " Put 
ye in the sickle, for the harvest is 
ripe : come, get you down ; for the 
press is full, the fats overflow ; for 



CHAPTER XIV. 



255 



19 And the angel thrust in 
his sickle into the earth, and 
gathered the vine of the earth, 

their wickedness is great Joel lii. 
13. See the remarks under verse 15. 
Every abomination prevailed among 
the Romans. They worshipped the 
beast and his image, and received his 
mark on their right hands and fore- 
heads ; they had no rest day nor 
night, save the few who had embraced 
the religion of Jesus, taken up the 
cross, and been crucified with him — 
they rested from their labors, and 
their good works followed them. 

19. Great wine-press of the wrath of 
God. — To tread a people as in a 
wine-press, was to surround them, to 
crush, destroy, and extirpate them. 
See the following passage. ;£ The 
yoke of my transgressions is bound 
by his hand ; they are wreathed, and 
come up upon my neck ; he hath 
made my strength to fall, the Lord 
hath delivered me into their hands, 
from whom I am not able to rise up. 
The Lord hath trodden under foot all 
my mighty men in the midst of me ; 
he hath called an assembly against 
me to crush my young men ; the Lord 
hath trodden the virgin, the daughter 
of Judah, as in a wine-press. For 
these things I weep ; mine eye, mine 
eye runneth down with water, be- 
cause the comforter that should re- 
lieve my soul is far from me ; my 
children are desolate, because the 
enemy prevailed ;" Lam. i. 14 — 16. 
The wine-press of the wrath of God 
was the wine-press of his judgments. 

20. And the wine-press was trodden. 
— To tread the wine-press is, of 
coarse, to crush the enemy. The 
manner of crushing grapes among 
the Jews was to put them into the 
vat, or press, and then place men 
among them to tread upon them. 
The garments of such must, of course, 
be stained somewhat of the color of 
blood. "Wherefore art thou red in 
thine apparel, and thy garments like 
him that treadeth in the wine-fat? 
I have trodden the wine-press alone ; 



and cast it into the great wine- 
press of the wrath of God. 
20 And the wine-press was 

and of the people there was none with 
me ; for I will tread them in mine 
anger, and trample them in my fury ; 
and their blood shall be sprinkled 
upon my garments, and I will stain 
all my raiment. For the day of ven- 
geance is in my heart, and the year 
of my redeemed is come Isa. lxiii. 
2 — 4. This metaphor was perhaps 
used by Isaiah to represent the de- 
struction of the Jews, in the days of 
vengeance, at the coming of Christ. 
See Lowth on the place. But, accord- 
ing to Adam Clarke, " Kimchi inter- 
prets the whole of the destruction of 
Rome." The latter is the true appli- 
cation of the metaphor in the Apoca- 
lypse. See xix. 13, 15. f Without 
the city. — When it is said the wine- 
press was trodden " without the city," 
it has reference, we think, to the cus- 
tom of the Israelites, that men who 
were disgraced should be put out of 
the city. Punishments eminently dis- 
graceful were inflicted without the 
city. The custom originated on the 
journey from Egypt to Canaan. Those 
who were infected with the plague 
and leprosy were obliged to dwell 
without the camp; Lev. xiii. 46 ; Numb, 
v. 3. The punishment of stoning to 
death was inflicted without the camp ; 
Numb. xv. 35. It was a disgrace, 
therefore, to be obliged to dwell with- 
out the camp, or to suffer punishments 
there. Hence we read in Hebrews : 
" For the bodies of those beasts, whose 
blood is brought into the sanctuary 
by the high priest for sin, are burned 
without the camp. Wherefore Jesus 
also, that he might sanctify the people 
with his own blood, suffered without 
the gate. Let us go forth, there- 
fore, unto him without the gate 
xiii. 11 — 13. The meaning is, we 
will suffer reproach for the name of 
Christ. The Romans were to be pun- 
ished in a manner to bring upon them 
the greatest disgrace. % Blood came 
out of the wine-press. — Here the figure 



256 



REVELATION. 



trodden without the city, and blood came out of the wine 



is slightly changed. The juice of the 
grape becomes blood, and it flows 
in immense quantities, even to the 
horses' bridles. Does not this denote 
that the Romans were to be afflicted 
with bloody wars? Bishop Newton 
says, "It is said (ver. 20) that 'the 
blood came even unto the horse- 
bridles,' which is a strong hyperboli- 
cal way of speaking to express vast 
slaughter and effusion of blood; away 
of speaking not unknown to the Jews ; 
for the Jerusalem Talmud, describing 
the woful slaughter which the Roman 
Emperor Adrian made of the Jews at 
the destruction of the city of Bitter, 
saith, 1 that the horses waded in blood 
up to the nostrils.' Nor are similar 
examples wanting even in the classic 
authors : for Silius Italicus, speaking 
of Hannibal's descent into Italy, useth 
a like expression, of 1 the bridles flow- 
ing with much blood;' Sil. Ital. iii. 
705." Destructive wars are described 
by the flowing of great quantities of 
blood; and in the hyperbolical lan- 
guage of the Apocalypse, it flows 
even "to the horse-bridles" for the 
space of sixteen hundred furlongs. 
It is a strong hyperbole, like that in 
John xxi. 25 ; viz., that if the acts of 
Jesus were all written, "the worjd it- 
self could not contain the books." The 
oriental writers abounded in hyper- 
boles ; and the two to which we have 
now referred are perhaps the most 
striking in all the Scriptures. We 
infer nothing from the verse before 
us, than that great slaughter was in- 
tended. Judgments, especially such 
as came in the form of war, are rep- 
resented under the metaphor of blood. 
The figure perhaps originated in what 
is said Exod. vii. 17. The success 
of Israel against their enemies is 
described by saying, they shall " drink 
the blood of the slain;" Numb, xxiii. 
24. The garments of warriors are 
rolled in blood ; Isaiah ix. 5. At the 
destruction of Idumea, the mountains 
were said to melt with blood ; Isa. 
xxxiv. 3. The destruction of Egypt 



is described in the following terms 
by Ezekiel : " Then will I leave thee 
upon the land, I will cast thee forth 
upon the open field, and will cause 
all the fowls of the heaven to remain 
upon thee, and I will fill the beasts 
of the whole earth with thee. And I 
will lay thy flesh upon the mountains,, 
and fill the valleys with thy height. 
I will also water with thy blood the 
land wherein thou swimmest, even to 
the mountains ; and the rivers shall 
be full of thee. And when I shall put 
thee out, I will cover the heaven, and 
make the stars thereof dark ; I will, 
cover the sun with a cloud, and the 
moon shall not give her light ;" xxxiu 
4 — 7. When we come to the Apoca- 
lypse, we find the same prophetic 
metaphors kept ,up ; for that book 
bears a more striking resemblance 
to the books of the Old Testament,, 
especially those of the prophets, man- 
to any book of the New Testament. 
The moon turns to blood; vi. 12. 
One judgment was described as hail 
and fire mingled with blood : and the 
" third part of the sea became blood ; ,r 
viii. 7, 8 ; the two witnesses had the 
power to turn the waters to blood,, 
which is described as " smiting the 
earth with all plagues f xi. 6 ; God 
gave the Romans " blood to drink," 
because they had shed the blood of 
saints ; xvi. 6 ; the murderous cruelty 
of the Romans was described by the 
woman, the " great harlot," being 
drunk with the blood of saints and 
martyrs ; xvii. 6 ; and Jesus, king of 
kings, when he rode forth to judge 
the Romans, was clothed with a ves- 
ture dipped in blood; xix. 13. So 
much for the use of the metaphor of 
blood. The hyperboles. are, some of 
them, exceedingly bold. Having thus 
brought our comments on this chap- 
ter to a close, we observe, that we see 
clearly what was the judgment de- 
nounced in verses 9 — 11, under the 
metaphors of the wine of the wrath of 
God, and of torment in fire and brim- 
stone in the presence of the holy 



CHAPTER XV. 



257 



press, even unto the horse- 
bridles, by the space of a thou- 
sand and six hundred furlongs. 

angels and the Lamb. Those judg- 
ments are described more particu- 
larly in verses 14—20. The Son of 
man and his angels are represented 
as being present. He comes upon a 
white cloud, with a sharp sickle. The 
harvest of the earth is ripe ; the clus- 
ters of the grapes are ready to be 
gathered in; the "wine of the wrath 
of God" is to be poured out from the 
"wine-press of the wrath of God." 
The figure is then slightly changed, 
and the wine turns to blood to repre- 
sent the dreadful slaughter with which 
the enemies of Christ were supposed 
to be overthrown. Who can suppose 
this is descriptive of judgments in the 
immortal state? Look at xix. 13 — 
21. There we shall find similar 
figures occurring again. Jesus tread- 
eth the " wine-press of the fierceness 
and wrath of Almighty God;" but 
that this represents the punishment 
of men on the earth, is evident, be- 
cause the fowls are called to eat their 
flesh, a metaphor which is never 
applied by any writer that we know 
of, sacred or profane, to the spirit- 
world. Several of the remaining 
chapters will be found only to carry 
out, in a more extended form, the 
subjects embraced in this. 

CHAPTER XV. 

Preliminary Remarks. — We must 
now expect, for several chapters, only 
the same subjects which were hinted 
at in the 14th chapter. They are 
carried out in a more enlarged form, 
which will appear as we proceed. 
This, let it be remembered, was pre- 
cisely the manner of the revelator in 
treating of the judgments upon the 
Jews. He gave, in chapter sixth, a 
synopsis or general view of those 
judgments, and then proceeded in 
subsequent chapters to fill up his plan 
more completely. Thus the harmony 
of his design is preserved. We 
22* 



CHAPTER XV. 

AND I saw another sign in 
heaven, great and marvel- 
noticed, when examining the 14th 
chapter, that he treated of the spread 
of the gospel among the Jews; the 
preaching of it to the Gentiles ; the 
punishment of the persecutors, who 
were to have no rest " day nor night ;" 
and the rest that was to be enjoyed 
by those who had been crucified with 
Christ. In the 15th chapter we shall 
find an account of the progress of the 
gospel among the Gentiles, and the 
preparations that were made for visit- 
ing the wrath of God upon those who 
persecuted the Gentile Christians. 

1. I saw another sign. — Everything 
in this chapter is remarkably scenic. 
This introduction of another sign 
was only in fulfilment of the reve- 
lator's general plan, of representing 
in a dramatic manner the events 
which he knew were to take place. 
It was made known to him that a 
new order of judgments was about to 
fall, to wit, the judgments on the 
Roman persecutors ; and this he 
describes by saying : " I saw another 
sign in heaven," &c. The word 
semeion, rendered "sign," signifies, 
among other senses, a portent, a 
prodigy, or extraordinary occurrence, 
representing or portending somewhat 
else. See Parkhurst and other lex- 
icographers. As if the revelator had 
said, I saw another wonder, or prod- 
igy, the forerunner of great events. 
^ Great and marvellous. — For these 
reasons it is called " great and mar- 
vellous." The language which the 
revelator here applies to the destruc- 
tion of Rome is similar to that which 
was used by our Lord in regard to 
the destruction of Jerusalem. Luke 
xxi. 11, 25: "And there shall be 
signs in the sun, and in the moon, 
and in the stars ; and upon the earth 
distress of nations, with perplexity ; 
the sea and the waves roaring." See 
xvi. 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 18—21, where 
more distinct metaphorical allusions 
are made to signs in the sun, air, sea, 



258 REVEL 
lous, seven angels having the 

waters, islands, mountains, &c, &c. 

Seven angels. — What was the sign, 
great and marvellous, which the rev- 
elator saw? Ans. "Seven angels 
having the seven last plagues and 
here let it be observed, this is merely 
scenic, or imaginary. John unques- 
tionably stated the truth ; but we 
must take it in his own dress. The 
facts he was instructed to give ; the 
imagery was his own; but this in a 
great part he borrowed from other 
portions of the Scriptures, especially 
the prophets. We say with Dr. 
Doddridge on another part of the 
Apocalypse, John's images "repre- 
sented in a figurative manner things 
that did really exist. And though it 
is possible that aerial scenes might, by 
divine or angelic power, have been 
formed, I think it much more proba- 
ble, that all that passed was purely in 
the imagination of St. John." — See 
Doddridge on Rev. iv. 2, in his Ex- 
positor. We have now before us 
another series of seven angels. The 
former series (viii. 2, 6) had seven 
trumpets to sound ; these have " seven 
golden vials full of the wrath of God." 
There is somewhat of a similarity in 
the imagery in these two cases. 
^Having the seven last plagues. — 
The plague, strictly speaking, was a 
disease which God was supposed to 
have sent upon men in his wrath. 
"And Moses said unto Aaron, Take 
a censer, and put fire therein from off 
the altar, and put on incense, and go 
quickly unto the congregation, and 
make an atonement for them : for 
there is wrath gone out from the 
Lord : the plague is begun. And 
Aaron took as Moses commanded, 
and ran into the midst of the congre- 
gation ; and behold, the plague was 
begun among the people : and he put 
on incense, and made an atonement 
for the people. And he stood between 
the dead and the living; and the 
plague w T as stayed :" Num.xvi. 46 — 
48. Plagues are put for judgments 
even w r here this kind of disease was 



seven last plagues ; for in them 

not sent. The judgments God sent 
on Pharaoh were called plagues ; 
Exod. xi. 1; xii. 13, et. al. Plagues 
are spoken of in the sense of judg- 
ments in the passage before us. The 
judgments upon the Jews, as men- 
tioned in the former part of the Apoc- 
alypse, were called " plagues ix. 
20 : xi. 6. The same term is applied 
to the judgments upon the Eomans ; 
xvi. 9, 21; xviii. 4, 8. Those who 
added to the Apocalypse were to 
suffer these plagues in common with 
the others ; xxii. 18. Why were 
plagues divided into seven forms ? 
See xv. 6, 7, 8 ;. xvi. 1 ; xvii. 1. For 
the same reason that the Lamb 
was said to have seven horns, and 
seven eyes ; v. 6 ; and that the book 
had seven seals ; v. 1 ; and that 
there were seven angels with seven 
trumpets ; viii. 2 ; and that seven 
thunders uttered their voices : x. 3, 
&c, &c. The number seven sig- 
nified, to the Jews at least, the idea 
of perfection and completeness ; and 
nothing was more natural, therefore, 
as the revelatorwas about to describe 
all the judgments that appertain to 
this part of the Apocalypse, so that 
after them none would remain to be 
fulfilled, to represent them by the full 
and perfect number. And it is dis- 
tinctly to be remembered, that these 
seven plagues embrace all the plagues 
subsequently mentioned in the Apoc- 
alypse ; xvi. 9, 21; xviii. 4, 8; xxii. 
18. If any other plagues besides 
these were found, then these would 
not be the last ; and the)' are ex- 
pressly said to be the last. I* 1 them 
is filled up the wrath of God. — And 
why were these plagues called last 
plagues? The answer is given in 
the verse before us, — " for in them 
is filled up [or finished] the wrath . of 
God." What is meant by filled up? 
Prof. Stuart says, the Greek seems to 
run, "having seven plagues, which 
are the last." — Vol. ii., p. 304. The 
measure of God's w T rath is full ; noth- 
ing more is to be added. When Jesus 



CHAPTER XV 



259 



is filled up the wrath of God. 

2 And 1 saw as it were a sea 
of glass mingled with fire : and 



over the beast, and over his 
image, and over his mark, and 
over the number of his name, 



them that had gotten the victory stand on the sea of glass, hav 



said to the Jews, Matt, xxiii. 32, 
<: Fill ye up then the measure of your 
fathers," he meant, Complete your 
wickedness, seeing ye will not repent. 
Go on to the full. In the seven last 
plagues was filled up. or completed, 
the wrath of God. The wrath of God 
is a metonymy for divine judgments ; 
as in the preceding chapter the perse- 
cutors were threatened, that they 
should « drink of the wine of the 
wrath of God;" xiv. 10. The wrath 
of God having been represented by 
wine, xiv. 10, the seven angels who 
are to describe the judgments have 
seven vials of this wine of God's wrath 
put into their hands. Those vials 
were poured out upon the earth, xvi. 1, 
which shows that the wrath of God, 
mentioned xiv. 10, does not refer to 
the future world. 

2. Sea of glass. — Almost the entire 
Apocalypse is scenic ; especially so is 
this verse. We have before met with 
this '-'sea of glass" in the course of 
the revelators metaphors ; see iv. 6. 
We are inclined to the opinion that 
the figure was drawn from the beau- 
tiful pavement, before the tabernacle, 
on which the people stood to worship 
God. It was highly polished, com- 
posed of plates or slabs of different 
colors ; and when the sun shone 
brightly, it reflected, like water, the 
shadows of the people. Some of the 
slabs were white and others red ; and 
the rays reflected from them, mingling 
together, gave it the appearance of a 
" sea of glass mingled with fire." 
This view of the metaphor makes the 
latter part of the verse reasonable, — 
they " stand on the sea of glass, hav- 
ing the harps of God ;" i. e., they stand 
(as it were) where the people in the 
temple stood when they gathered to- 
gether with their harps to worship God. 
This represented the Roman Chris- 
tians as standing, after the manner 



of the Jews, before the tabernacle to 
worship God, and praise him with the 
harp, the well-known instrument in 
the religious exercises of the Jews. 
We say the Roman Christians, be- 
cause, 1st. The Jewish Christian 
church had been described in the pre- 
ceding chapter; and 2d. Because 
these were such as had <• gotten the 
victory over the beast, [the perse- 
cuting power of Rome,] and over his 
image, and over his mark, and over 
the number of his name." Observe, 
the revelator does not say it was 
actually a "sea of glass," but 11 as it 
were a sea of glass," i. e., in appear- 
ance like a " sea of glass mingled 
with fire." The pavement of the 
New Jerusalem was similar: "And 
the street of the city was pure gold, 
as it were transparent glass ;" xxi 
21. For the use made of the harp by 
the Jews, see our remarks on xiv. 2. 
Many have been the sage conclusions 
which have been drawn from the fact 
of the" Roman Christians standing on 
a "sea of glass mingled with fire." 
The glass, we have been told, repre- 
sented the clearness and purity of 
divine truth on which they were 
based, and the fire denoted the puri- 
fying power thereof, fee., fcc. We 
make no such deductions. The figure 
was probably drawn from the floor 
of the temple before the tabernacle ; 
and by the Roman converts standing 
there with harps in their hands, de- 
noted that they had been brought to 
worship the true God. Victory 
over the beast. — Victory is success in 
a contest, — the victorious party hath 
overcome the other. There is no 
doubt that the Christians had to 
endure, many struggles, and often 
conflicts would take place in their 
own bosoms. They had much to 
suffer of pains, and penalties, and 
reproaches ; but if they were faithful, 



260 



REVELATION. 



ing the harps of God. Great and marvellous are thy 

3 And they sing the song of works, Lord God Almighty ; 

Moses the servant of God, and just and true are thy ways, 

the song of the Lamb, saying, thou King of saints. . 



they were promised a reward. This 
figure of overcoming was a favorite 
one with John. " For whatsoever is 
born of God, overcometh the world : 
and this is the victory that over- 
cometh the world, even our faith ; 
1 John v. 4. ^[ Over his image, over 
his mark, &cc. — These amplifications 
are mere imagery ; they add nothing 
of importance to the sense. The 
meaning to be attached to the mark 
of the beast may be found explained 
under xiii. 16, 17 ; xiv. 9—11. See, 
also, xvi. 2 ; xix. 20 ; xx. 4. To get. 
the victory over the beast, and over 
his image, and over his mark, and 
over the number of his name, was to 
remain faithful to Christ, — to remain 
victoriously a Christian, — in spite of 
all the power of the beast, and all the 
machinations of the false prophet, 
and all the deceptions of the image, 
and all the earthly advantage that 
was to be gained by wearing his 
mark, not bowing down wickedly 
even to the emperor himself. 

3. The song of Moses and 

of the Lamb. — They sung both a 
Jewish and a Christian song. The 
Jewish Christians were not repre- 
sented as being converted to sing the 
song of Moses, for they had always 
sung that. They were converted to 
sing a new song, viz., the song of 
the Lamb ; v. 9. The Christian reli- 
gion is based on the Jewish ; the con- 
verts from heathenism, therefore, are 
represented as being brought to sing 
the united " song of Moses and the 
Lamb." What was the song of 
Moses ? It was the song of triumph 
which Moses and the children of 
Israel sung for the destruction of their 
enemies in the Red Sea. "Then 
sang Moses and the children of Israel 
this song unto the Lord, and spake, 
saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for 
he hath triumphed gloriously; the 



horse and his rider bath he thrown 
into the sea. The Lord is my strength 
and song, and he is become my sal- 
vation : he is my God, and I will 
prepare him a habitation ; my father's 
God, and I will exalt him," &c, &c. ; 
Exod. xv. 1 — 19. This was a song 
of triumph for deliverance from op- 
pression, bondage, thraldom ; and it 
was a song like this that the Roman 
Christians sung, for they also had 
been delivered from bondage. — they 
had " gotten the victory over the 
beast, and over his image, and over 
his mark, and over the number of his 
name;" ver. 2. The Gentile Chris-' 
tians, by being converted to Christi- 
anity, would learn the history of 
Moses ; they would see that they had 
had a deliverance like his ; they 
would shout a triumphant song as he 
did; they would also sing the song 
that was new to the Jews as well as 
to themselves, viz., the song of re- 
deeming love ; and thus they would 
sing " the song of Moses and the 
Lamb." % Great and marvellous are 
thy works. — Here is the matter of the 
song: let us contemplate it in the 
words of the revelator himself. 
"Great and marvellous are thy 
works, Lord God Almighty; just and 
true are thy ways, thou King of 
saints. Who shall not fear thee, 
Lord, and glorify thy name ? for thou 
only art holy : for all nations shall 
come and worship before thee ■ for 
thy judgments are made manifest." 
This was a song like that of Moses, 
embracing the same great principles 
of gratitude and confidence. God*s 
works are great and marvellous ; his 
ways are just and true. All men 
shall fear him and glorify his name. 
He is the Holy One. All nations 
shall come and worship him. 

4. Thy judgments are made manifest. 
— They were made manifest to Moses 



CHAPTER XV. 



261 



4 Who shall not fear thee, 
O Lord, and glorify thy name ? 

and the children of Israel, when the 
Egyptian hosts were drowned. They 
are visible every day. They were 
visible to the revelator. He did not 
consider them as far distant, but 
near ; they were not prospective, but 
present. " Thy judgments are made 
manifest." Does this seem as if the 
revelator believed the judgments of 
God were postponed to eternity ? The 
judgments of the Apocalypse are rep- 
resented as being come, or about to 
come. " Thy wrath is come, and the 
time of the dead that they should be 
judged;" Rev. xi. 18. " The hour 
of his judgment is come ;" xiv. 7. 
See the notes at large on vi. 10, but 
more especially xi. 18, and xiv. 7. 
Our notes on those passages will 
fully reveal our opinions of the Bible 
doctrine of judgment, formed after a 
very careful and we trust unbiassed 
study of that holy volume. In addi- 
tion to what is said there, we would 
have it distinctly remembered, that 
under the Old Testament, God is rep- 
resented as the Judge. He is "the 
judge of all the earth ;" Gen. xviii. 
25; Psa. vii. 11; 1. 6; lxviii. 5; 
lxxv. 7 ; Eccl. iii. 17. " Verily he is 
a God that judgeth in the earth Psa. 
lviii. 11. Under the gospel reign, 
Jesus was appointed, as the agent of 
the Father, the judge of the world. 
As such he was ordained of God ; 
Acts x. 42. « For the Father judgeth 
no man ; but hath committed all 
judgment unto the Son ;" John v. 22. 
Jesus throughout the New Testament 
appears as the judge ; Matt. xvi. 27, 
28; Matt. xxv. 31—34; Rev. xix. 
11. The splendid metaphors in the 
Apocalypse, of Jesus riding forth to 
put down his enemies, refer to him as 
the judge of the nations during the 
gospel reign. The word judgments, 
w r e are aware, has different significa- 
tions in the word of God. It some- 
times signifies God's laws, or statutes, 
as we should call the laws of Massa- 
chusetts the judgments or ordinances 



for thou only art holy : for all 
nations shall come and worship 

of the state. But it is also put for 
the wonderful displays of the power 
of God in overcoming and punishing 
his enemies. Hence the plagues he 
sent upon Egypt were judgments. 
11 Wherefore say unto the children of 
Israel, I am the Lord, and I will 
bring you out from under the burdens 
of the Egyptians, and I will rid you 
out of their bondage, and I will 
redeem you with a stretched-out arm, 
and with great judgments ;" Exod* 
vi. 6. The judgments with which God 
redeemed Israel were the remarkable 
manifestations of his power in won- 
drously preserving them against their 
enemies, and in opening their way to 
the promised land. These wonderful 
works they celebrated and praised as 
righteous, just and true. They were 
prominent facts m the history of the 
people ; and, in all after ages, were 
celebrated as the righteous judgments 
of God. The rectitude of them was 
continually asserted. " The judg- 
ments of the Lord are true and 
righteous altogether;" Psa. xix. 9, 
So in the song of Moses, in which he 
celebrated the deliverance of Israel 
from the hands of the Egyptians, he 
insists on the rectitude of the judg- 
ments. "Who is like unto thee, O 
Lord, among the gods ? who is like 
thee, glorious in holiness, fearful 
in praises, doing wonders? Thou 
stretchedst out thy right hand, the 
earth swallowed them. Thou in thy 
mercy hast led forth the people which 
thou hast redeemed : thou hast guided 
them in thy strength unto thy holy 
habitation ;" Exod. xv. 11 — 13. These 
judgments are in the Apocalypse 
made metaphors of the judgments of 
God upon Rome ; and the song of 
Moses becomes a song for the Chris- 
tians delivered from the hands of 
their persecutors, who sing, "Great 
and marvellous are thy works, Lord 
God Almighty ; just and true are thy 
ways, thou King of saints. Who 
shall not fear thee, Lord, and glo~ 



262 



REVELATION. 



before thee ; for thy judgments 
are made manifest. 

rify thy name? for thou only art 
holy : for all nations shall come and 
worship before thee ; for thy judg- 
ments are made manifest ;" xv. 3, 4. 
And the judgments which are found 
described in the subsequent chapters 
of the Apocalypse are those which 
are here referred to, viz., the judg- 
ments which were sent upon the 
Roman persecutors of the church, 
whose punishments were so strikingly 
described in xiv. 9 — 11, 14 — 20. See 
xvi. 5 — 7 ; xvii. 1 ; xviii. 8 — 10; xix. 
2 ; xx. 12, 13. That they were tem- 
poral judgments, and not. judgments 
in eternity, will be made abundantly 
evident in the notes on those passages. 

5. Temple of the tabernacle of the 
testimony. — By temple of the taberna- 
cle was doubtless meant the temple 
that had stood on mount Zion. Gen- 
erally, by the word temple, was 
intended the whole edifice, with its 
walls and outer courts. But what 
was all the rest in the sight of the 
Jews, compared with the inner tem- 
ple, the ark, the " tabernacle of the 
testimony ? " The ark was called the 
ark of testimony, because it contained 
the tables of the law ; so the taber- 
nacle was called the tabernacle of the 
testimony, because in that tent the 
tables of the law were kept. — (Cal- 
met's Die, under Testimony.) This 
was the ark of the covenant ; Exod. 
xxv. 10 — 22 ; or ark of the testi- 
mony; Idem, 16. The mercy-seat 
was upon the ark, and the cherubim 
were there. " There will I meet with 
thee, (said God to Moses,) and I will 
commune with thee from above the 
mercy-seat, from between the two 
cherubims which are upon the ark of 
the testimony, of all things which I 
will give thee in commandment unto 
the children of Israel;" Idem, 22. 
This, then, was most precious and' 
sacred in the eyes of the Jews. As it 
was the supposed place of the divine 
presence, there stood the cloud that 
guided the people by day, and the 



5 And after that I looked, 
and behold, the temple of the 

pillar of fire that guided them by 
night. "And on the day that the 
tabernacle was reared up, the cloud 
covered the tabernacle, namely, the 
tent of the testimony : and at even 
there was upon the tabernacle as it 
were the appearance of fire, until the 
morning. So it was always : the 
cloud covered it by day, and the 
appearance of fire by night ;" Numb, 
ix. 15, 16. This was the manifesta- 
tion of the divine presence ; and by it 
the people knew when to tarry and 
when to go forward. If the cloud 
moved, they moved; if the cloud 
remained stationary, they remained 
in their tents. We see, then, why 
the temple was called "the tem- 
ple of the tabernacle of the testi- 
mony," viz., because that, above 
everything else, made the temple the 
place of reverence and worship. 

In heaven. — The verse we are now 
considering, it seems to us, has refer- 
ence to xi. 19 : " And the temple of 
God was opened in heaven, and there 
was seen in his temple [what could 
be no longer seen on earth] the ark 
of his testament." We refer the reader 
to our notes on that verse. He will 
see, in the 11th chapter, which con- 
cludes the second principal division 
of the Apocalypse, and finishes the 
account of the destruction of the 
Jews, that the spiritual kingdom of the 
Messiah was fully established upon 
the ruins of Judaism. The kingdoms 
of this world became the kingdoms of 
the Lord and of his Christ ; xi. 15 ; and 
he commenced to reign in power. At 
that time he .took upon him his great 
power and reigned ; 17. And as the 
outward temple on Zion was thus 
destroyed, God's peculiar presence 
was removed from the place up to 
heaven ; and hence it was said the 
temple of God was opened in heaven, 
and there was seen in his temple the 
ark of his testament, xi. 19, or, which 
is the same thing, " the tabernacle of 
the testimony." Men should hence- 



CHAPTER XV. 



263 



tabernacle of the testimony in 
heaven was opened : 

6 And the seven angels came 
out of the temple, having the 

forth no longer worship God on Zion, 
or Gerizim ; but the true worshippers 
in every place should worship him in 
spirit and in truth. Thus, in the sight 
of the revelator, the temple was re- 
moved to the dwelling-place of God ; 
but he would vouchsafe his heavenly 
or spiritual presence to all humble 
worshippers everywhere. The Jews 
unquestionably looked upon heaven 
as a place. " For thus saith the high 
and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, 
whose name is Holy ; I dwell in the 
high and holy place ;" Isaiah lvii. 15. 
This was supposed by the Jews to be 
the place of God's special presence. 
Nevertheless, they held that God could 
so manifest himself to men on earth, 
as to justify the belief that he was 
present with them, although not seen 
by outward eyes. He was present 
with Jacob, when on his way towards 
Haran : "Surely the Lord is in this 
place ; and I knew it not. And he 
was afaid, and said, How dreadful is 
this place ! this is none other but the 
house of God, and this is the gate of 
heaven;" Gen. xxviii. 16, 17. This 
shows that the belief that God could 
be spiritually present with men on 
earth, although his dwelling-place 
was in heaven, existed from the ear- 
liest antiquity. Afterward God dwelt 
with the Jews. He accompanied them 
through the wilderness, in the ark. 
He dwelt in Zion, whither the people 
went to appear before God; Psalms 
lxxxiv. 7. The Jews supposed his 
presence was there in a sense in which 
it was manifested nowhere else on 
earth ; and there it continued until 
the temple was destroyed, when the 
SHekinah departed. The God, how- 
ever, still remained to bless all the 
nations of the earth. He changed 
not ; it was the form of his presence 
only that was changed. His temple 
was opened in heaven ; that is, there 



seven plagues, clothed in pure 
and white linen, and having 
their breasts girded with golden 
girdles. 

no longer remained a temple on earth. 
But in every place he would dwell 
with the contrite. The law was suc- 
ceeded by the covenant of the gospel, 
and this was to be regarded henceforth 
as ''the tabernacle of God;" xxi. 3. 

6. Came out of the temple. — It was 
so customary with the Jews to draw 
their sacred images from the temple, 
that John still continued the practice, 
although the edifice was destroyed. 
Of the temple that once stood on Zion, 
he saw a likeness in heaven, and 
angels came out of it, as the priests 
used to come out of the building on 
earth. *f[ Having the seven plagues. 

— The same plagues which had been 
mentioned verse 1, in which was 
filled up the wrath of God. See xv. 
1, 7, 8 ; xvi. 1 ; xvii. 1. These angels 
were executors of the divine will in 
pouring out the plagues upon the 
earth, as we shall see when we come 
to the next chapter. ^[ Clothed in 
pure and white linen. — White was the 
color of honor ; iii. 4, 5, 18 ; iv. 4 ; vi. 
11; vii. 9, 13, 14. These seven 
angels, coming out of the temple like 
priests, are of course clothed in the 
habits of priests. ^[ Golden girdles. 

— This was the habit of the priests. 
They were girded over their breasts 
with girdles, composed in part of gold. 
" And the curious girdle of the ephod 
which is upon it, shall be of the same, 
according to the work thereof; even 
of gold, of blue, and purple, and 
scarlet, and fine twined linen ;" Exod. 
xxviii. 8. See our remarks on Rev. 
i. 13. 

7. Four beasts. — The translation of 
the word zoa should not be beasts, 
but living creatures. They were not 
beasts ; but a kind of fabulous beings, 
remarkable for their intelligence, rev- 
erence, and constancy. The word 
for wild beast is not the word that 
occurs here, but therion, which was 



264 



REVELATION. 



7 And one of the four beasts 
gave unto the seven angels 
seven golden vials full of the 

applied to the beast in Eev. xiii. The 
four beasts are mentioned first, ch. 
iv. 6. If the reader wishes to know 
what they were like, in the revelator's 
imagination, see iv. 7. 8 ; v. 8, 14 ; 
xiv. 3. We earnestly recommend to 
those who wish for light in regard to 
these hieroglyphical beasts, or crea- 
tures, to consult our long note on 
Rev. iv. 6. These living creatures 
gave to the seven angels who had 
issued from the spiritual tabernacle 
" seven golden vials full of the wrath 
of God." This, of course, is sceni- 
cal. These angels, as we have said, 
were to be executors of the divine 
will, in pouring out the vials of wrath ; 
of course the vials were put into their 
hands. The metaphor of the living 
creature passing out the vials of 
wrath from the ark, or mercy-seat, 
seems to have been taken from Ezk. 
x. 7: "And one cherub stretched 
forth his hand from between the 
cherubims unto the fire that was 
between the cherubims, and took 
thereof, and put it into the hands of 
him that was clothed with linen ; who 
look it, and went out." The figure 
shows that the judgments were in- 
flicted by the command of God. The 
vials were full of the wrath, or judg- 
ments, of God, meaning something 
that was emblematical of those things. 
The vials are a very similar met- 
aphor to that of the cup; xiv. 10. 
^[ Who liveth forever and ever. — God 
is the same always ; he changeth not ; 
he is without variableness or shadow 
of turning. Here is an instance in 
which we know that the phrase " for- 
ever and ever" imports strictly endless 
duration, because it is applied to God. 
The words take their force from the 
subject to which they are applied. 
But when the phrase is applied to 
things on the earth, and to things that 
long ago passed away, we know that 
it cannot have the same extent of sig- 
nification. 



wrath of God, who liveth for 
ever and ever. 

8 And the temple was filled 

8. And the temple. — John still has 
his eye on the image of the temple in 
heaven. See the note on verse 5. 
The temple on Zion, from which he 
had drawn so many of his metaphors, 
was destroyed ; but still he sees the 
image of it in heaven ; xi. 19 ; xv. 5 ; 
and thus draws his metaphors from it 
still. T[ Filled with smoke. — The met- 
aphor of " smoke from the glory of 
God" is very ancient. When God 
was represented by Moses as descend- 
ing on mount Sinai, it was covered 
with smoke. " And mount Sinai was 
altogether on a smoke, because the 
Lord descended upon it in fire : and 
the smoke thereof ascended as the 
smoke of a furnace, and the whole 
mount quaked greatly. And when 
the voice of the trumpet sounded long, 
and waxed louder and louder, Moses 
spake, and God answered him in a 
voice ;" Exod. xix. 18, 19. This is 
much in the style of the Apocalypse. 
God's presence was represented as 
veiled in the smoke. The cloud and 
the smoke were fine metaphors, as 
veils of the mysterious presence of 
the Deity. Who that has witnessed 
a thunder-storm, has not felt some- 
what of the awe that the description 
of Moses was calculated to inspire in 
the Jews? "And it came to pass on 
the third day in the morning, that 
there were thunders and lightnings, 
and a thick cloud upon the mount, 
and the voice of the trumpet exceed- 
ing loud ; so that all the people that 
w r as in the camp trembled ;" Exod. 
xix. 16. The voice of thunder fills 
with awe the hardest heart. The sun 
is veiled, as if retiring because its 
Maker had come. "The thunder of 
his power who can understand?" 
Job xxvi. 14. Who is not seized with 
the conviction, that behind the cloud 
there is a mysterious Deity, whose 
voice we hear, and who sends his irre- 
sistible flame through the heavens ? 
Who can wonder, then, that the ancient 



CHAPTER XV. 



265 



with smoke fr^om the glory of God, and from his power; and 



Hebrews used the cloud and the smoke 
as veils of God's presence? Isaiah 
employs the same metaphor : " In the 
year that king Uzziah died I saw also 
the Lord sitting upon a throne, high 
and lifted up, and his train filled the 
temple. Above it stood the sera- 
phims : each one had six wings ; with 
twain he covered his face, and with 
twain he covered his feet, and with 
twain he did fly. And one cried unto 
another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is 
the Lord of hosts : the whole earth is 
full of his glory. And the posts of 
the door moved at the voice of him 
that cried, and the house was filled 
with smoke ;" vi. 1 — 4. There are 
many instances in which the cloud 
represented, in the same way, the 
presence of God's glory. In the jour- 
ney through the wilderness the Lord 
went with the Israelites by day in a 
pillar of cloud, and by night in a 
pillar of fire; Exod. xiii. 21. For 
instances of a cloud being mentioned 
as the veil of the divine presence, see 
Exod. xvi. 10 ; xix. 9 ; xxiv. 15, 16, 
18 j xxxiv. 5 ; xl. 34, 38 ; Lev. xvi. 
2; Numb. ix. 16; x. 34 ; xi. 25; 1 
Kings viii. 10 ; 2 Chron. v. 13; Ezk. 
x. 4. How easily, then, we account 
for the description of the circum- 
stances attending the transfiguration. 
" While he yet spake, behold, a bright 
cloud overshadowed them : and be- 
hold, a voice out of the cloud, which 
said, This is my beloved Son, in whom 
I am well pleased : hear ye him ;" 
Matt. xvii. 5. How natural, too, to 
represent Christ as coming in the 
clouds, to inflict judgment on his 
enemies ; Matt. xxiv. 30 ; Luke xxi. 
27 ; Rev. i. 7. Iu reference to the 
ascension also, the same language is 
employed : " And when he had spoken 
these things, while they beheld, he 
was taken up ; and a, cloud received 
him out of their sight!" Acts i. 9. 
" When the congregation of Israel 
murmured against Moses and Aaron, 
Numb. xvi. 42, and were gathered 
against them, they looked towards 

23 



the tabernacle of the congregation, 
and behold the cloud covered it, and 
the glory of the Lord appeared. This 
was the forerunner of judgment, for 
at once Moses directed Aaron to go 
quickly and make atonement, because 
wrath is gone out from the Lord, and 
the plague is begun; ver. 46. Thus 
proper is this emblem of smoke from 
the glory of God, or from the cloud 
of glory, to express the execution of 
judgment, as well as to be a sign of 
favor. Both proceed from the power 
of God, and in both he is glorious." 
— (Lowman.) % No man mas able to 
enter into the temple. — The services 
of the temple are represented as sus- 
pended. The worship of which we 
have so glowing a description in verses 
3, 4, is discontinued. No man can 
enter into the temple during the pour- 
ing out of the plagues. " It came 
even to pass, as the trumpeters and 
singers were as one, to make one' 
sound to be heard in praising and 
thanking the Lord ; and when they 
lifted up their voice with the trumpets 
and cymbals and instruments of mu- 
sic, and praised the Lord, saying, Fur 
he is good ; for his mercy enduretb. 
forever : that then the house was 
filled with a cloud, even the house of 
the Lord ; so that the priests could not 
stand to minister by reason of the 
cloud : for the glory of the Lord had 
filled the house of God;" 2 Chron. v. 
13, 14. Here there was such a mani- 
festation of the divine glory, in the 
cloud, that the priests were obliged to 
withdraw. It is possible that the 
revelator drew his metaphor from this 
prominent fact in the sacred history 
of the Jews, which all the people 
reverently remembered. His object 
was to show that God was present 
in the judgment of the seven vials, 
which were to be poured out upon the 
earth ; xvi. 1. In xiv. 10, it was said 
that the Roman persecutors were pun- 
ished "in the presence of the holy 
angels and the presence of the Lamb." 
In the verse before us Jehovah him- 



266 



REVELATION. 



no man was able to enter into 
the temple, till the seven 

self is represented as present in those 
judgments ; for we hold it to be 
Deyond dispute, that the judgments 
mentioned in the Apocalypse subse- 
quently to the 14th chapter are but 
an amplification, or particularizing, 
of what is described in more general 
terms in that chapter. See what we 
have stated as to the character of that 
chapter in the preliminary remarks 
at the opening of our notes upon it. 
The temple was filled with smoke as 
a sign of Jehovah's presence when 
the vials were given out, and during 
the whole continuance of the plagues. 
The judgments were irrevocable ; 
they were not to be recalled. When 
the plague smote the children of Israel, 
Moses sent Aaron in haste into the 
temple to make atonement, and the 
plague was stayed. " And Aaron 
took as Moses commanded, and ran 
into the midst of the congregation ; 
and behold, the plague was begun 
among the people : and he put on 
incense, and made an atonement for 
the people. And he stood between 
the dead and the living ; and the 
plague was stayed. Now they that 
died in the plague were fourteen 
thousand and seven hundred, besides 
them that died about the matter of 
Korah. And Aaron returned unto 
Moses unto the door of the tabernacle 
of the congregation : and the plague 
was stayed Numb. xvi. 47 — 50. 
But in the case described by the reve- 
lator, no such arrest of judgment 
could be had. " No man was able to 
enter into the temple till the seven 
plagues of the seven angels were ful- 
filled." God was present in the 
judgment ; it was poured out with 
his approbation, and by his com- 
mand ; it could not be remitted ; the 
whole seven of the vials must be 
poured out ; the full measure of divine 
wrath or judgment must be executed 
upon the persecutors. The descrip- 
tion of the temple and the smoke, of 
course, is scenical ; for at the time of 



plagues of the „ seven angels 
were fulfilled. 

which the revelator spake, the tem- 
ple had been destroyed. It was, we 
repeat, merely the image of it which 
he saw in heaven, to which he re- 
ferred ; xi. 19 ; xv. 5. We have thus 
brought our notes on this chapter 
to a close. In the next we shall 
find an account of the pouring out of 
the seven vials ; and let it be remem- 
bered that all seven of them, in which 
was " filled up the wrath of God," 
were to be poured out upon the earth. 

CHAPTER XVI. 

Preliminary Remarks. — The chap- 
ter we are now to consider is highly 
scenic ; we can scarcely conceive -of 
any composition that is more so. It 
is a metaphorical description of the 
woes which were about to fall on the 
Roman Empire, and which had been 
foretold by the revelator in chap. xiv. 
8 — 11, and 14 — 20. It bears a resem- 
blance somewhat to chapters viii. 
and ix. Under the successive open- 
ings of the seven seals, had been 
described the woes which were soon 
to fall on the Jews ; and in the chap- 
ters last mentioned, those woes were 
more fully and particularly set forth 
under various metaphors. So, in the 
14th chapter, the woes are denounced 
on the Romans, which, in the subse- 
quent chapters, are carried out more 
fully under different images. The 
Gentile Christians remained firm in 
their devotion to God ; they stood on 
"the sea of glass" and worshipped 
Him in view of his judgments. Pre- 
paratory to the execution of those 
judgments, seven angels are repre- 
sented as coming out of the temple, 
to whom seven vials, filled with 
wrath, or judgments, are given ; and 
the pouring out of the contents of 
these vials forms the subject of the 
16th chapter, which we are now to 
consider. 

1. Great voice out of the temple. — 
This is the same imaginary temple 



CHAPTER XVI. 



267 



CHAPTER XVI. 

A ND I heard a great voice 
J~\_ oat of the temple, saying 



which the revelator saw in heaven, 
and which he had mentioned in the 
preceding chapter. " And after that 
I looked, and behold, the temple of 
the tabernacle of the testimony in 
heaven was opened;" xv. 5. The 
outward temple on mount Zion had 
been destroyed ; but accustomed as 
the revelator had been, in all the 
former parts of the Apocalypse, to 
draw his images from the temple, and 
its appendages, and the services per- 
formed there, he had conceived in his 
imagination the temple as being re- 
opened in heaven. See the verse last 
quoted, in connection with xi. 19. 
He continues, therefore, to draw his 
images from it. Seven angels. — 
This is a second series of seven 
angels. The first series had seven 
trumpets given to them ; viii. 2 ; the 
second seven received " seven golden 
vials full of the wrath of God ;" xv. 
7. Some importance is to be attached 
to the number seven in this case. It 
signifies fulness, or completeness. It 
was a perfect number in the view of 
the Jews ; it filled the circle. Now, 
as all the woes that were to fall on 
the Roman persecutors were about to 
be described, the wrath of God was 
divided into seven parts, represented 
by the seven vials, or their contents. 
If there had been but four, five or six 
vials, we should not have got the 
idea of completeness ; we should have 
expected that more judgments were 
to come ; but the plagues were called 
the seven last plagues, because they 
comprehended the whole: "In them 
was filled up the wrath of God." See 
our note on xv. 1 . «f[ Pour out the vials. 
— This is a command to the whole, 
not to a part. Let this fact be re- 
membered. The figure of pouring 
out, whether we speak of blessings, or 
judgments, is very common among 
the prophets. " Pour out thine indig- 



to the seven angels, Go your 
ways, and pour out the vials 
of the wrath of God upon the 
earth. 



nation upon them, and let thy wrath- 
ful anger take hold of them Psa. 
lxix. 24. "Now will I shortly pour 
out my fury upon thee, and accom- 
plish mine anger upon thee : and I 
will judge thee according to thy ways, 
and will recompense thee for all thine 
abominations;" Ezk. vii. 8. See 
also Psa. lxxix. 6 ; Jer. x. 25 ; xiv. 
16 ; Hosea v. 10. So, also, of bless- 
ings. " I will pour out my spirit" is 
a very common expression. u For I 
will pour water upon him that is 
thirsty, and floods upon the dry 
ground : I will pour my spirit upon 
thy seed, and my blessing upon thine 
offspring;" Isa. xliv. 3. Again: "I 
will open you the windows of heaven, 
and pour you out a blessing, that 
there shall not be room enough to 
receive it;" Mai. iii. 10. See also 
Joel ii. 28, 29 ; Acts ii. 17, 18. We 
see, then, that it was a common figure 
of speech with the prophets to speak 
of anything that God sent upon men 
as being poured out. It was a kin- 
dred figure to represent the wrath of 
God as being in vials, ready to be 
poured out, when the command to that 
effect should be given, Upon the 
earth. — Mark this expression. These 
were the " seven last plagues " of the 
Apocalypse, and the angels were all 
commanded to " pour out the vials 
of the wrath of God upon the earth." 
We are not to expect, therefore, to 
find that any of the judgments about 
to be described belong to the immor- 
tal state of man. By whatever meta- 
phors these judgments are held forth, 
let it be remembered they were all 
executed upon the earth. The first 
vial was poured out upon the land ; 
the second upon the sea ; the third 
upon the rivers and fountains ; the 
fourth upon the sun ; the fifth upon 
the seat of the beast, or the place of 
his power ; the sixth upon the great 



268 



REVELATION. 



2 And the first went, and 
poured out his vial upon the 

river Euphrates, and the seventh, or 
last, into the air. Whatever this 
scenery may intend, we may be con- 
fident that temporal or earthly judg- 
ments only are intended, since all the 
vials were to be poured out upon, or 
into, the earth. It is worthy of note 
here, that the revelator is only ampli- 
fying the judgments mentioned in 
xiv. 9 — 11, where we were told that 
the wrath of God is poured out into 
the cup of his indignation, and men 
are made to drink it, and are tor- 
mented in fire and brimstone in the 
presence of the holy angels, and the 
presence of the Lamb. This wrath 
of God was to be visited on those who 
worshipped the beast and his image ; 
and beyond all doubt represented the 
same judgments described under the 
metaphors of the seven vials of God's 
wrath, which also were poured out on 
" the men who had the mark of the 
beast, and upon them which wor- 
shipped his image ;" xvi. 2. If we 
look closely at the 14th chapter, we 
shall find that the judgments de- 
scribed under the metaphor of drink- 
ing the wine of God's wrath, and 
suffering torment in fire and brim- 
stone, ver. 10, are described in the 
succeeding parts of that chapter, 
under the metaphors of the harvest, 
verses 14 — 16, and the vintage, verses 
17 — 20. These judgments were on 
the earth. " The harvest of the earth 
is ripe ;" ver. 15 ; the angel thrust in 
his sickle on the earth, and the earth 
was reaped ; ver. 16 ; the vine "whose 
clusters were gathered was the vine 
of the earth ; ver. 18 ; and the angel 
thrust his sickle into the earth, and 
gathered the vine of the earth ; ver. 
19 ; and the wine-press was trodden 
without the city, and blood flowed to 
the horses' bridles ; ver. 20. How 
can reflecting persons suppose that 
any other than temporal or earthly 
judgments are here described? By 
the seven vials of wrath are unques- 



earth ; and there fell a noisome 
and grievous sore upon the men 

tionably meant the seven last plagues 
mentioned in chapter xv. 

2. Poured out his vial upon the earth. 
— The first angel poured out his vial 
upon the earth, i. e., upon the land, 
for the second vial is said to have 
been poured out upon the sea. The 
angels, as we have said under the 
preceding verse, poured out their 
vials as follows : 1st, on the earth ; 
2d, on the sea ; 3d, on the rivers 
and fountains; 4th, on the sun; 
5th, on the seat of the beast, (i. e., 
the place of his power;) 6th, on the 
Euphrates ; and, 7th, into the air. 
The whole, remember, is mere im- 
agery. The judgments of God upon 
the Jews had been described in a sim- 
ilar way by the revelator. See chap- 
ters viii. and ix. The angel took fire 
from the altar and cast it into the 
earth; viii. 5. This was to denote 
that judgments were about to begin. 
Under the sounding of the first angel 
the judgment fell on the earth ; viii. 
7 ; under the second, on the sea ; 
ver. 8 ; under the third, the star 
Wormwood fell on the rivers and 
fountains of water; verses 10, 11; 
under the fourth, the sun was smit- 
ten ; ver. 12 ; under the fifth, the 
judgment was prepared against Jeru- 
salem, the seat of the power of the 
Jews ; under the sixth, the operations 
were in the regions of the Euphrates : 
ix. 14 ; and under the seventh, in the 
region of the air, and there were great 
voices in heaven uttering, :< The king- 
doms of this world are become the 
kingdoms of our Lord and of his 
Christ ;" xi. 15 ; and this agrees pre- 
cisely with the effects attending the 
pouring out of the seventh vial ; ver. 
17. Thus it will be seen, there was 
a method in the revelator's meta- 
phors ; they were not all chaos. 
There was a similarity between the 
construction of that part which treated 
of the judgments that, fell upon the 
Jews, and the part now before us, 



CHAPTER XVI. 



269 



which had the mark of the 
beast, and upon them which 
worshipped his image. 

3 And the second angel 



which treats of the judgments that 
fell upon the Romans. It is some- 
times asked, what does the pouring 
oat of the different vials upon the 
earth, the sea, the rivers, the sun, &c. 
&cc, mean ? We answer, it does not 
mean anything distinct from the 
great fact that the Roman Empire 
was to be judged. These things are 
only the dress which the imagination 
of the revelator supplied, and are to 
be regarded merely as parts of the 
imagery. He who seeks to find a 
distinct judgment for every vial, 
entirely overdoes the matter of ex- 
planation, and makes the subject 
darker, and not brighter. All we 
desire to do, in regard to these meta- 
phors, is to show the method of them, 
and their origin, or the sources 
whence the revelator derived them, so 
far as we can. ^[ There fell a noisome 
and grievous sore, &c. — By sores, the 
sacred writers were accustomed to 
represent afflictions and troubles. 
We are inclined to think that the 
revelator had in his mind the judg- 
ments that God sent upon the Egyp- 
tians, because they would not let the 
children of Israel go up out of the 
land of bondage. One of the judg- 
ments that fell upon them was a 
breaking: out of sores upon man and 
beast. See Exod. ix. 8—11. See, 
also, Psa. xxxviii. 11. The diseased 
moral condition of God's rebellious 
children was described as follows : 
" From the sole of the foot even unto 
the head there is no soundness in it ; 
but wounds, and bruises, and putrefy- 
ing sores : they have not been closed 
up, neither bound up, neither molli- 
fied with ointment;" Isa. i. 6. So 
Lazarus, the representative of the 
Gentiles, was laid at the rich man's 
house full of sores ; Luke xvi. 20, 21. 
It cannot be denied, then, that in rep- 
resenting troubles and afflictions by 
23* 



poured out his vial upon the 
sea ; and it became as the blood 
of a dead man; and every liv- 
ing soul died in the sea. 



grievous sores, the revelator followed 
the authority of the prophets. We 
see here the source from whence he 
derived his imagery. It was not 
entirely the invention of his own 
fancy. \ Mark of the beast. — We 
have explained this imagery in sev^ 
eral instances. See notes on xiii. 16, 
17 : xiv. 9 ; xv. 2. % Worshipped his 
image. — On the subject of the worship 
of the beast, see xiii. 4, 8, 12 ; xiv. 9, 11. 

3. Upon the sea. — The second 
angel poured out his vial upon the 
sea. This is the same figure, in sub- 
stance, which occurs in Rev. viii. 8 : 
" And the second angel sounded, and 
as it were a great mountain burning 
with fire was cast into the sea ; and 
the third part of the sea became 
blood." Such having been the meta- 
phor by which the revelator described 
the judgments coming upon the Jews, 
he uses it again to describe the judg- 
ments coming upon the Romans. 
T[ Became as the blood of a dead man. 
— We think this metaphor, as well as 
the former one, (ver. 2,) had its origin 
in the plagues of Egypt, which had 
been so prominent a matter in the 
sacred history of the Jews. By those 
plagues God punished the oppressor 
of old ; and the revelator, being a 
Jew, drew his style and figures from 
the sacred history, which was so dear 
to the heart of every one of his pious 
countrymen. See Exod. iv. 9. And 
read the following passage : " And the 
Lord spake unto Moses, Say unto 
Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out 
thy hand upon the waters of Egypt, 
upon their streams, upon their rivers, 
and upon their ponds, and upon all 
their pools of water, that they may 
become blood ; and that there may 
be blood throughout all the land of 
Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and 
in vessels of stone. And Moses and 
Aaron did so, as the Lord com- 



270 



REVELATION. 



4 And the third angel poured 
out his vial upon the rivers and 

manded ; and he lifted up the rod 
and smote the waters that were in 
the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, 
and in the sight of his servants ; and 
all the waters that were in the river 
were turned into blood. And the fish 
that was in the river died ; and the 
river stank, and the Egyptians could 
not drink of the water of the river ; 
and there was blood throughout all 
the land of Egypt;" Exod. vii. 19 — 
21. It will appear very plainly to 
all, that the revelator used the judg- 
ments which came of old upon the 
Jews, as a kind of dress, or imagery, 
by which to represent the judgments 
about to fall upon the Romans. 

4. Rivers and fountains of waters. — 
This figure is like the last. We 
understand nothing different from 
what is meant in the preceding verse. 
It is merely a part of the scenery. 
That sound old writer, Dr. Ham- 
mond, says, in his note on this place, 
that the earth, or land, on wdiich these 
vials were to be poured, " in all 
reason signifies the Roman Empire, 
the thing represented in these visions, 
as before it signified the nation and 
people of the Jews. And there is no 
reason to affix any nice critical nota- 
tion to either of these single, that the 
land, should signify severally, and so 
the sea, and the rivers, but to take all 
together for that which was meant by 
the land, ver. 1 ; for so the series 
here requires, where the angels, that 
were commanded to pour out their 
vials on the earth, pour them out on 
these three, evidently noting these 
three to be the distribution of that 
one, and so all one with it. So, chap, 
xiv. 7, God is described as the Crea- 
tor of heaven, and earth, and sea, and 
fountains of water, where all those 
latter three are set to denote that 
which is elsewhere ordinarily called 
the earth, and no more, in opposition 
to heaven, that is, this inferior, terres- 
trial globe, and all in it. To this 
may be added, that when the judg- 



fountains of waters : and they 
became blood. 

ments are represented to fall upon 
Judea, some are said to fall on the 
land, others on the sea, others on the 
trees, (chap, vii.,) not necessarily sig- 
nifying such a separation of the judg- 
ments, some on this, some on that 
part, but the whole nation together, 
on which all those judgments fell, 
and this indeed agreeable to what we 
read of the judgments that fell on 
Egypt, where though some of them 
were caused by the signs that Moses 
wrought upon the land, Exod. viii. 
16 ; others by smiting of the waters, 
streams, rivers and ponds, and all their 
gathering together of waters, Exod. 
vii, 19 ; and so again, viii. 5 ; yet it 
is manifest that the judgments thus 
produced by every one of these, (each 
smiting of his rod there being propor- 
tionable to the pouring out of a vial 
here,) fell indifferently on the whole 
land, and not one judgment on one 
part, another on another ; and so 
sure is it to be understood in this 
place. Many judgments were to be 
poured out on the Roman Empire, 
and by all of them together the whole 
heathen part of it destroyed. This 
consideration makes it unnecessary 
further to inquire into the productions 
of the several vials, what each of them 
distinctly signified, it being sufficient 
that each of them notes some kind 
of destruction ; and the number of 
seven being a perfect number, the 
seven angels, and their seven vials, and 
their seven effusions, signify utter de- 
struction, and not necessarily any 
more, unless it be this, that it was 
not all at once, but by several de- 
grees, and several sorts of judgments, 
those that ordinarily bring destruc- 
tions upon provoking people, that 
have filled up the measure of their 
iniquities, infectious diseases, famines 
and, wars ; and that these, in a very 
remarkable manner, fell upon the 
Roman Empire about these times, 
appears as by all histories, ecclesias- 
tical and profane, so especially by St. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



271 



5 And I heard the angel of j wast, and shalt be, because thou 
the waters say, Thou art right- j has judged thus, 
eous, Lord, which art, and i 6 For they have shed the 



Austin in his first books, Be Civitate 
Dei, written on purpose to defend the 
Christian religion from that charge | 
which was laid upon it, that it brought 
down all judgments upon the empire. 
"Which being false, as it was urged by 
the heathens to the prejudice of Chris- 
tianity, viz., that the judgments came 
for that sin of permitting Christianity 
in the empire, and contempt of their 
idol-worship ; so was it most true, 
that for the heathens standing out and 
persecuting the Christian faith, most 
heavy wasting judgments were come 
upon them." So far Dr. Hammond ; 
and how signal a proof does he fur- 
nish that the Roman Empire was 
judged. The heathen writers them- 
selves acknowledged it ; but the wor- 
shippers of the beast, in their great 
blindness, knew not that their own 
wickedness was the cause of these 
judgments, but attributed their trou- 
bles to the existence of Christianity 
in the empire, which had excited the 
wrath of their deities against them. 
5[ Water became blood. — See what we 
have said on this subject under the 
preceding verse. 

5. Angel of the waters. — This was 
one of the angels of the elements. 
The Jews had a tradition that to the 
different good angels were assigned 
different stations, duties and charges. 
The language of the Apocalypse, in 
frequent cases, is based on these 
suppositions. Hence we read of the 
four angels who had charge of the 
four winds; vii. 1. Another had 

power over fire xiv. 18 ; another 
presided over the altar; xvi. 7; and 
so the angel standing in the sun was 
the one who presided over the orb of 
day : xix. 17. The imaginary being 
called '-'the angel of the waters," is 
introduced, iu order to bring out, in a 
way corresponding to the style the 
revelator employed, the solemn truths 
expressed in the words he uttered. 



Those who wish to look further at this 
matter are referred to the paragraph 
on the angelology of the Apocalypse, 
and the classification of the angels, 
as given in the note under v. 2. 
% Thou art righteous, O Lord, &e., 
because thou hast judged thus. — The 
substance of this was sung by the 
Gentile Christians who stood on the 
sea of glass : " Great and marvellous 
are thy works, Lord God Almighty ; 
just and true are thy ways, thou King 
of saints. Who shall not fear thee, 
O Lord, and glorify thy name ? For 
thou only art holy : for all nations shall 
come and worship before thee ; for thy 
judgments are made manifest ;" xv. 
3, 4. God, whose existence filled the 
present, the past, and the future, was 
just and. righteous in the midst of his 
judgments. The persecutors had shed 
the blood of saints and prophets, and 
God had sent upon them sore judg- 
ments. 

6. Shed the blood of saints and proph- 
ets. — This they were truly accused 
of, as the reader will see, if he peruse 
xi. 7; xii. 17; xiii. 7. 15. The Jews 
shed the blood of God's servants very 
freely ; and the Romans did the same. 
The memory of Xero has been ren- 
dered infamous throughout the world, 
for his murder of the innocent, unof- 
fending Christians. Having set fire, 
as it is said, to the city of Rome, he 
managed to throw the odium of that 
execrable action upon the Christians, 
and thereby excited the public indig- 
nation against them to the highest 
degree. He gratified his own malice, 
and the malice of the populace which 
he had himself inflamed, by putting 
the Christians to tortures and to death. 
Some were covered with the skins of 
wild beasts and worried to death by 
dogs, and others were fastened to 
crosses and wrapped up in combustible 
garments and set fire to, that the dark- 
ness of the night might be no barrier 



272 



REVELATION. 



blood of saints and prophets, 
and thou hast given them blood 

to the spectacle of their dreadful- suf- 
ferings. For such scenes as these, 
Nero, it is said, lent his own gardens ; 
and exhibited at the same time the 
public diversions of the circus, some- 
times himself driving a chariot, and 
sometimes standing as a spectator, 
while the groans of burning men and 
women resounded in his ears. This 
persecution abated, and the church 
had a respite for a short time, when 
the wrath of the enemies 01 Christ 
broke forth again under the reign of 
Domitian. A third persecution began 
about A. D. 100, under Trajan; and 
other trials of the same kind under 
his successors, so that before the con- 
version of Constantine, the first Ro- 
man emperor who embraced Christi- 
anity, ten general persecutions of the 
church have been enumerated. How 
true was it, then, that the Romans had 
shed the blood of saints and prophets. 
*ft Given them blood to drink. — This 
was a strong expression to show that 
the judgments of God fell upon them 
for their cruelties — a hyperbole like 
that in xiv. 20— "And blood came 
out of the wine-press, even unto the 
horse-bridles, by the space of a thou- 
sand and six hundred furlongs." God 
promised to avenge the blood of his 
servants upon the Jews ; Matt, xxiii. 
34 — 36 ; so here he declares his judg- 
ments, in the same manner, upon the 
Romans. See vi. 10, and compare 
with xviii. 24, and xix. 2. All this 
was according to the ancient predic- 
tion, Gen. ix. 6 : " "Whoso sheddeth 
man's blood, by man shall his blood 
be shed." God employs men as 
agents of his will. He punished the 
Romans by the troubles which came 
upon them in various parts of the 
empire, especially by the wars and 
bloodshed they had to encounter, and 
which they would in all probability 
have avoided, had they lived accord- 
ing to the requirements of justice and 
benevolence. National sins require 
national punishments, as individual 



to drink ; for they are worthy. 
7 And I heard another out 



sins require individual punishments. 
These judgments are sometimes 
dreadful, yet in all of them we are 
permitted to believe God has a kind 
and good end in view. He punishes 
his creatures according to their de- 
serts. None are punished except 
those who are worthy of punishment. 
" Thou hast given them blood to drink, 
for they are worthy." They deserved 
it, and they w T ere treated according to 
their works. This is the principle on 
which the divine administration pro- 
ceeds. See Psa. lxii. 12 ; Matt. xvi. 
27; Rev. xx. 12; xxii. 12. 

7. Even so, Lord God Almighty. — 
The voice from the altar is represented 
as acquiescing in the judgments. 
This voice is introduced in order to 
give the revelator occasion to say 
what follows. T[ True and righteous 
are thy judgments. — One of the cardi- 
nal principles of all sound theology is, 
that God is righteous in all his ways 
— as righteous in his judgments as 
in his mercies. He always has a 
good end in view. He never punishes 
unnecessarily, nor more severely than 
is consistent with his character as the 
Father of men. Ever3 r act is founded 
on the eternal principles of rectitude, 
for he cannot do wrong. The proph- 
ets were accustomed to speak of 
judgments as a bitter or disagreeable 
draught ; and hence came the expres- 
sions, "the wine of the wrath of God;" 
and " the cup of his indignation." 
In judgments of great . severity, God 
was said to feed men with their own 
flesh, and make them drunk with 
their own blood. See Deut. xxxii. 
42, 43 ; and Isa. xlix. 26. God judg- 
eth righteously ; Jer. xi. 20 ; 1 Peter 
ii. 23. From his very nature he can- 
not do otherwise. All his judgments, 
therefore, are true and righteous. The 
sacred writers represent God as an 
avenger ; 1 Thess. iv. 6 : he is terrible ; 
Psa. xlvii. 2 : he is a God of judg- 
ment ; Isa. xxx. 18. His judgments 
at times are indeed awful, inscrutable, 



CHAPTER XVI. 



273 



of the altar say, Even so, Lord 
God Almighty, true and right- 
arid may well be called a great deep ; 
Psa. xxxvi. 6. But none of these 
descriptions are intended by the sacred 
writers to contradict the essential at- 
tributes of the Deity. God's great 
and leading attribute is his goodness, 
or rectitude. Again and again do the 
sacred writers declare that he is right- 
eous ; and hence no description of his 
judgments should lead us to attribute 
anything unrighteous to him ; Exod. 
ix. 27 ; 2 Chron. xii. 6 ; Psa. cxxix. 4 ; 
cxlv. 17; Lam. i. 18; Dan. ix. 14. 
The Lord is gracious; 1 Peter ii. 3. 
He is good ; Psalms- xxxiv. 8 ; c. 5 ■ 
cxxxv. 3; cxlv. 9; Jer. xxxiii. 11; 
Nah. i. 7. "He is merciful and 
gracious, slow to anger, and plen- 
teous in mercy. He will not always 
chide; neither will he keep his anger 
forever. He hath not dealt with us 
after our sins ; nor rewarded us ac- 
cording to our iniquities. For as the 
heaven is high above the earth, so 
great is his mercy toward them that 
fear him. As far as the east is from 
the west, so far hath he removed our 
transgressions from us. Like as a 
father pitieth his children, so the Lord 
pitieth them that fear him;" Psa. ciii. 
8 — 13. He will never cast away 
from his presence the mourning, peni- 
tent soul, nor shut the door of mercy 
against the sinful, nor prevent them, 
if they desire, from returning to him. 
'•'If his children forsake my law, and 
walk not in my judgments ; if they 
break my statutes, and keep not my 
commandments ; then will I visit their 
transgressions with the rod, and their 
iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless, 
my loving-kindness will I not utterly 
take from him, nor suffer my faithful- 
ness to fail;" Psa. Ixxxix. 30—33. 
Such is the government of our God — 
such is his tender mercy. How beauti- 
fully and forcibly does Micah say, 
" Who is a God like unto thee, that par- 
doneth iniquity, and passeth by the 
transgression of the remnant of his 
heritage ? he retaineth not his anger 



eous are thy judgments. 

8 And the fourth angel poured 

forever, because he delighteth in mer- 
cy. He will turn again, he will have 
compassion upon us ; he will subdue 
our iniquities ; and thou wilt cast all 
their sins into the depths of the sea. 
Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, 
and the mercy to Abraham, which thou 
hast sworn unto our fathers from the 
days of old;" vii. 18—20. " Whom 
the Lord loveth he correcteth ;" Prov. 
iii. 12. The title which is preemi- 
nently applied to God in the New 
Testament is that of Father. "To 
give our views of God in one word, 
we believe in his parental character. 
We ascribe to him not only the name 
but the disposition and principles of 
a father — we believe that- he has a 
father's concern for his creatures ; a 
father's desire for their improvement : 
a father's equity in proportioning his 
commands to their powers ; a father's 
joy in their progress ; a father's readi- 
ness to receive the penitent ; and a 
father's justice [a father's justice] for 
the incorrigible. We look upon this 
w r orld as a place of education, in 
which he is training men by mercies 
and sufferings ; by aids and tempta- 
tions ; by means and opportunities of 
various virtues ; by trials of principle ; 
by the conflicts of reason and passion ; 
by a discipline suited to free and 
moral beings ; for union with himself, 
and for a sublime and ever-growing 
virtue in heaven." — (Dr. Channing's 
Baltimore sermon.) God, then, is 
truly merciful and gracious ; Psa. cxi. 
4 ; cxlv. 8 ; full of compassion, slow 
to anger, and of great kindness ; Eph. 
ii. 4. He is long-suffering, very piti- 
ful, and of tender mercy ; Numb. xiv. 
18; Nah. i. 3; Jas. v. 11. He will 
punish the wicked, all the wicked, 
faithfully, adequately, but will not 
violate the principles' of his nature, 
which have now been described, and 
which are so frequently and earnestly 
recognized and asserted by the writers 
both of the Old and New Testaments. 
Although in one sense his judgments 



274 



REVELATION. 



out his vial upon the sun ; and 
power was given unto him to 
scorch men with fire. 

9 And men were scorched 
with great heat, arid blasphemed 

are unsearchable ; Rom. xi. 33 ; yet, 
we may be sure they are founded on 
the eternal principles of righteous- 
ness ; and we may praise God for 
them as being true and righteous 
altogether ; Psa. xix. 9 ; cxix. 7 ■ Rev. 
xix. 2. 

8. Upon the sun. — Changes in the 
heavenly bodies denoted great politi- 
cal changes ; but the intent here seems 
to be, that the sun's heat should be 
increased to that degree that men 
should be' actually scorched with it. 
The heat of the sun is sometimes ex- 
ceedingly oppressive, and gives rise to 
violent diseases, fevers, and especial- 
ly inflamation upon the brain. The 
most sickly portions of the globe are 
those on which the sun has the most 
power ; and in other portions the most 
sickly seasons are those which are 
the warmest. The heat of the sun, 
therefore, being increased to such an 
extraordinary degree as actually to 
scorch men, denotes the severity of 
the divine judgments, which came, 
perhaps, in the form of pestilence. 
The blessings of the redeemed are 
described in the following terms : 
11 They shall hunger no more, neither 
thirst any more ; neither shall the sun 
light on them, nor any heat ;" Rev. 
vii. 16. That figure was evidently 
quoted from Isaiah xlix. 10: "They 
shall not hunger nor thirst, neither 
shall the heat nor sun smite them : 
for he that hath mercy on them shall 
lead them, even by the springs of 
water shall he guide them." It is a 
similar metaphor when the blessings 
of the Messiah's kingdom are repre- 
sented as a grateful shade beneath a 
scorching sky ; Isa. iv. 6 ; xxv. 4 ; 
xxxii. 2. Although the fourth vial 
was poured out upon the sun, still we 
are to remember that no judgment is 
intended except that which took place 



the name of God, which hath 
power over these plagues : and 
they repented not to give him 
glory. 

10 And the fifth angel poured 

upon the earth. The command to the 
seven angels was to pour out their 
vials of wrath upon the earth. The 
effect of the fourth vial was felt no- 
where but on the earth, although it 
was poured out upon the sun. Power 
was given to the sun to scorch men 
[i. e., men on the earth] with fire. 
These plagues poured from the vials 
are all represented as being on the 
earth: ver. 1. 

9. Blasphemed the name of God. — 
In consequence of their afflictions, 
men blasphemed the name of God. 
They could not endure with patience 
the plagues which were sent upon 
them. They repented not to give 
God glory. The Christians glorified 
him, and said, " Great and marvellous 
are thy w r orks, Lord God Almighty; 
just and true are thy ways, thou King 
of saints ;" but the persecutors glori- 
fied him not. ^ And they repented not 
to give him glory. — They repented 
not. So it is said of the Jews, who 
fell under God's judgments: "The 
rest of the men which were not killed 
by these plagues yet repented not of 
the w r orks of their hands;" ix. 20, 21. 
And because they repented not, they 
were obliged to endure severer judg- 
ments still. They refused to glorify 
God. The Christians, in the midst 
of their deepest tribulations, glorified 
him. Mystery Babylon glorified her- 
self; xviii. 7 ; but the Christians said, 
"Who shall not fear thee, Lord, 
and glorify thy name ? " xv. 4. God 
should be glorified in all things ; 
IPeteriv.ll. 

10. Upon the seat of the beast. — The 
seat of the beast signifies the place of 
his power. A more proper transla- 
tion would seem to be, the throne 
of the beast, not intending the very 
throne, the emperor's chair of state, 
but the place or city of his power, the 



CHAPTER XVI. 



275 



out his vial upon the seat of the 
beast; and his kingdom was 
full of darkness ; and they 
gnawed their tongues for pain, 

11 And blasphemed the God 
of heaven, because of their pains 

central point of the empire. Where 
was the seat of the beast ? or the place 
of his power ? Was it not the imperial 
city ? *j[ Full of darkness. — The king- 
dom of the beast was full of dark- 
ness, like the darkness of Egypt 
that might be felt. ^[ Gnawed their 
tongttes. — The anguish of the wor- 
shippers of the beast is represented 
as very great ; they had no rest day 
nor night, as was foretold, xiv. 11. 
They gnawed their tongues for their 
pain. This is one of the most forci- 
ble figures to describe intense pain 
that the mind can conceive. In some 
awful diseases, the sick man gnaws 
his tongue. It is a horrid spectacle, 
and, thank God, is seen bat seldom. 
There have been cases, in which the 
unhappy subject, suffering great pain, 
accompanied by delirium, has gnawed 
his tongue until it bore no resem- 
blance to what it was once. This 
figure is even more forcible, we think, 
than that of " gnashing the teeth," 
which occurs several times in the gos- 
pels, though they are parallel expres- 
sions. The language is not to be con- 
strued literally. It is clearly meta- 
phorical. If such were the conse- 
quences attributable to the suffering 
of the wrath of God, — if men were 
made as it were mad, or delirious, by 
it, how properly was it represented in 
xiv. 10, by the wine of the wrath of 
God, which inflames and intoxicates 
men, and drives their reason away. 

11. Blasphemed the God of heaven. 
— So great was the pain represented 
to be, that the sufferers lost all pa- 
tience, and broke out in blasphemy 
against the Almighty ; but they did 
not repent of their deeds. Their 
hearts, like Pharaoh's, were hardened. 
They persisted in their wickedness. 
See the remarks on ver. 9. How 



and their sores, and repented 
not of their deeds. 

12 And the sixth angel poured 
out his vial upon the great 
river Euphrates ; and the water 
thereof was dried up, that the 

different the condition between the 
worshippers of the beast, and the ser- 
vants of Jesus. The former had no 
rest, day nor night; xiv. 11; they 
were maddened with pain; xvi. 10. 
But the latter were blessed, while their 
enemies were destroyed ; they rested 
from their labors, and their works 
accompanied them wheresoever they 
went. 

12. Great river Euphrates. — Eu- 
phrates is called " the great river" 
in other parts of the Scriptures ; see 
Gen. xv. 18 ; Deut.i. 7 ; Joshua i. 4. 
It was the eastern boundary of the 
land given to the seed of Abraham ; 
see the texts already referred to, and 
Deut. xi. 24 ; 1 Chron. v. 9. When 
the Israelites were conquered by the 
Romans, the Euphrates became the 
eastern boundary of the empire, and 
they never extended their conquests 
beyond this. The sixth angel is rep- 
resented, therefore, as pouring out 
his vial on that river, that the waters 
thereof might be dried up, and that 
the way of the kings of the east might 
be prepared, that is, that all hin- 
drances to the approach of the oppos- 
ing armies might be taken away, and 
that they might march on into Syria, 
and hasten the fall of the Roman 
power. The revelator, perhaps, drew 
this figure from the early history of 
his countrymen, for God divided the 
Red Sea for them to pass through. 
The Nile, also, is represented as being 
divided, that the Jews returning to 
their country might pass through dry 
shod, Isa. xi. 15, — a figure like the 
one occurring in the verse before us. 
The figure of the drying up of rivers 
is sometimes used to represent great 
drought and want ; in fact, we know 
that the smaller rivers are sometimes 
totally dry in a time of great drought, 



276 



REVELATION. 



way of the kings of the east 
might be prepared. 

See Job xii. 15 ; Isa. xix. 6 ; xlii. 15 ; 
xliv. 27 ; 1. 2 • Jer. li. 36 ; Zech. x. 
11 ; Nahum i. 4. Another figure, as 
already noticed, is to represent the 
sea as being dried up to permit the 
people to pass through ; Psa. lxxiv. 
15; cvi. 9. *[f Kings of the east. — 
Prof. Stuart inquires, why the kings 
of the east are mentioned, and adds, 
because " Parthia and her allies 
were the only powers that could pre- 
tend to rival the Romans in the strife 
of war. The Parthians often drove 
back, and at last confined, the Romans 
to the western bank of the Euphrates, 
retaining the dominion of middle Asia 
to themselves. The apocalyptist, 
therefore, here threatens war upon 
the Roman Empire by the only 
power which could then make it with 
any prospect of success. Even to the 
western parts of Asia had the Par- 
thians sometimes urged their invasion 
and conquests. It is not necessary 
to suppose a literal prediction and 
fulfilment here. Enough that- the 
symbol employed is exceedingly sig- 
nificant. The Roman Empire must 
be attacked, divided, weakened, by 
enemies ; and this is most signifi- 
cantly expressed here by adverting to 
the only enemies which, when this 
book was written, were able to make 
any impression upon that empire." — 
(Stuart on Apoc, ii., 313.) It is not to 
be supposed, that the Euphrates was 
actually dried ; but it was a figurative 
method to show that the obstacles to 
the incursions of the enemies to the 
Romans, in that extreme quarter of 
the empire, should be removed ; and 
the enemies should come in and 
break down the Roman power. Filled 
with fear at the approaching danger, 
the Roman power, both secular and 
spiritual, rouses all its energies to 
meet the crisis, as we shall see in the 
next verse. 

13. Unclean spirits. — In this in- 
stance, unclean spirits are unques- 
tionably spoken of metaphorically. 



13 And I saw three unclean 
spirits like frogs come out of 

Even though we were to decide that 
the doctrine of actual demoniacal pos- 
sessions is taught in the other parts 
of the New Testament, we should not 
suppose it was intended to be taught 
here. The doctrine of demoniacal 
possessions the Jews learned of the 
heathen, especially during the seventy 
years' captivity in Babylon ; and this 
we judge to be the reason why we 
find so much more said in the New 
Testament concerning unclean spirits 
than in the Old. From this doctrine 
of possession, the phraseology of the 
Jews came to be somewhat modified ; 
and although our Lord and his dis- 
ciples adopt their phraseology, it is 
not to be supposed they meant to 
adopt their errors. The learned Dr. 
Lightfoot says, in his remarks on the 
parable of the unclean spirits : " These 
words seem to have been spoken by 
our Saviour according to the capacity 
of the common people, or rather 
according to the deceit put upon 
them, more than according to the 
reality or truth of the thing itself; 
taking a parable from something 
commonly believed and entertained, 
that he might express the thing which 
he propounded more plainly and fa- 
miliarly." — (Works, xi. 203.) From 
the earliest ages, the heathen sup- 
posed invisible spirits to have agency 
in the affairs of this world. They 
peopled the skies with the departed 
spirits of their heroes, to whom they 
assigned divers ranks, dispositions, 
and occupations ; some they adored 
with gratitude, and others they wor- 
shipped with fear. This was all the 
work of imagination — it had no 
reality. They unquestionably be- 
lieved it real ; and when they expe- 
rienced any extraordinary emotions, 
they were wont to attribute them to 
the agency of their fabled demons. 
This absurd notion was embraced by 
the Jews, as we learn from their his- 
torians ; and Josephus, who lived 
nearly in the same age with the 



CHAPTER XVI. 



277 



the mouth of the dragon, and 
out of the, mouth of the beast, 

apostles, tells us, that demons are the 
spirits of wicked men, which return 
to the earth, and possess and torment 
the living. Speaking of a certain 
plant, he says: "It is only valuable 
on account of one virtue it hath, that 
if it be only brought to the sick per- 
sons, it quickly drives away those 
called demons, which are no other 
than the spirits of the wicked, that 
enter into men that are alive, and 
kill them, unless they can. obtain 
some help against them." — (Bell. 
Jud., lib. vii., c. vi., sec. 3.) This was 
the prevailing opinion in the time of 
Christ. Persons afflicted with insan- 
ity and epilepsy were more particu- 
larly judged to be possessed of de- 
mons ; and the careful reader will 
perceive, by examining the supposed 
cases of possessions recorded in the 
New Testament, that the symptoms 
put forth by the subjects of them are 
precisely the symptoms shown by 
persons really afflicted with those dis- 
eases. — (See Jahn's Arch., sec. 194 
— 197.) The Saviour, in speaking of 
persons thus afflicted, used the com- 
mon language ; not, as we suppose, 
to give countenance to the notion of 
the real existence of demons, but in 
tenderness, perhaps, to the persons 
afflicted, and in accommodation to 
their views of themselves, as well as 
to the prevailing opinion on the sub- 
ject. When Jesus cured people of 
insanity or epilepsy, he was said to 
cast out a demon, or demons, if the 
possessed thought himself to have 
more than one ; and when Jesus 
transferred the madness on one occa- 
sion to a herd of swine, as the leprosy 
of Naaman was transferred to Gehazi, 
the demons were said to enter them, 
and their end was what might have 
been expected. We have thought it 
proper to present these general views 
on the subject of demoniacal posses- 
sions. Those who wish to look more 
into the matter are referred to Matt, 
x. 1 j xii. 43 ; Mark i. 23, 26, 27 j iii. 
24 



and out of the mouth of the 
false prophet. 

11, 30; V. 2, 8, 13; vi. 7; vii. 25; 
Luke iv. 36 ; vii. 21, 22 ; xi. 24 ; 
Acts v. 16 ; viii. 7. We recommend 
the reader also to consult Farmer on 
Demoniacs, and Campbell's Prelim. 
Diss, vi., p. 1. % Mouth of the dragon, 
mouth of the beast, &c. — The princi- 
pal fact brought out in these two 
verses is, that the dragon, and the 
beast, and the false prophet, repre- 
senting Rome spiritual and Rome 
secular, all united to arrest the down- 
fall of the empire. Filled with con- 
sternation at the approaching danger, 
the civil power roused all its energies 
to meet it, as did also its coadjutors, 
the priests and minions of Rome % 
spiritual. We were told, in Rev. xiii. 
11 — 13, that the second beast, the 
auxiliary to the first, was a lamb in 
appearance, but a dragon in reality. 
He for a time exercised all the power 
of the first beast, and caused the body 
of the people to honor and reverence 
the first beast, or Rome secular. 
This auxiliary beast was to do great 
wonders, and to deceive mankind by 
the miracles which he appeared to 
perform ; verses 14, 15. The unclean 
spirits, like frogs, came out of the 
mouth of the dragon, the beast, and 
the false prophet, the same power 
being intended here by the false 
prophet which is intended in Rev. 
xiii. 11 — 13 by the auxiliary beast. 
The heathen spiritual power, beyond 
all doubt, was auxiliary to the secu- 
lar. But the energies of all were 
summoned to ward off the dangers of 
the empire. Every kind of art and 
deception were employed to control 
the people, and ensure their devotion 
to the ruling power. The revelator 
states that the unclean spirits wrought 
miracles, the object of which was to 
rouse the people " to the battle." 
The unclean spirits that came out of 
the mouths of the dragon, beast, and 
false prophet, were like frogs. The 
frog is an odious animal, and was 
unclean under the law. It inhabits 



278 



REVELATION. 



14 For they are the spirits 
of devils, working miracles, 
which go forth unto the kings 
of the earth, and of the whole 
world, to gather them to the 

low marshes and bogs, and the filthi- 
est and most stagnant pools. The 
frogs were known as one of the 
plagues of Egypt, and even the magi- 
cians of that country had power to 
counterfeit the miracle wrought by 
Moses ; Exod. viii. 2, 7 5 Psa. lxxviii. 
45; cv. 30. Hence the unclean 
spirits that came out of the mouth of 
the dragon were compared to them. 

14. For they are the spirits of devils, 
working miracles. — The unclean spir- 
, its were not, of course, real beings. 
The whole is metaphorical. The 
dragon and beast are both metaphors ; 
and the unclean spirits like frogs 
coming out of their mouths are met- 
aphors. So when we are told they 
are the spirits of demons, or devils, 
the language is still metaphorical, the 
spirits of imaginary beings being put 
for the deceivers who endeavored, by 
their auguries and enchantments, to 
stir up the people against the Chris- 
tian religion. Every reader of his- 
tory knows, that the order of augurers 
was held in very high repute among 
the Romans. See the remarks on 
xiii. 14, and xix. 19, 20. Few im- 
portant matters of state were done 
without their advice. They were 
supposed to have power to foretell 
future events, and to decide whether 
any enterprise about to be undertaken 
would be successful. They were an 
order of priests, and had a college, or 
corporation, at Rome. They served 
to keep the people in subjection. 
Every one must see, that such an 
order of priests would have a vast 
influence upon the populace. They 
stirred them up to war, or kept them 
back from it, almost at their pleasure. 
They had great influence over the 
rulers, called in the verse before us, 
"the kings of the earth and of the 
whole world," who by their influence, 



battle of that great day of God 
Almighty. 

15 Behold, I come as a thief. 
Blessed is he that watcheth, 
and keepeth his garments, lest 

by their auguries, by their assurances 
of success, were gathered together 
"to the battle of that great day of 
God Almighty." \ That great day. 
— By that "great day" is meant the 
day of God's visitation upon the em- 
pire for its sins. The day of God is 
a phrase frequently employed by the 
sacred writers to describe any time 
in which God specially visited men 
with judgments. Thus, the time of 
the destruction of Babylon is called 
the day of the Lord ; Zeph. i. 12—18 j 
so also was the time of the destruc- 
tion of Jerusalem. See the language 
of Joel : u Blow ye the trumpet in 
Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy 
mountain : let all the inhabitants of 
the land tremble : for the day of the 
Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand ; 
a day of darkness and of gloominess, 
a day of clouds and of thick dark- 
ness ;" ii. 1, 2. The New Testament 
writers adopt the same language ; see 
Luke xxl. 34 : 1 Thess. v. 4. And 
as it is said to be the day of God 
Almighty, it would seem to show, 
that although all the forces of the 
dragon, the beast, and the false pro- 
phet, might combine, yet they could 
not prevail against the Most High. 

15. Behold, I come as a thief. — 
Here is one of the strongest illustra- 
tions we could possibly have, that 
metaphors and comparisons are not 
designed, as authors say, to go upon 
all fours, — that is, they are not sup- 
posed to hold good in all particulars. 
When once we have got the design 
of a writer, that is enough ; we are 
not to persist in applying his imagery 
in a variety of ways that he never 
thought of. * The Judge says: "Behold, 
I come as a thief." Here, the point to 
be illustrated was, that he came sud- 
denly and unexpectedly, like a thief 
in the night. This is the whole 



CHAPTER XVI. 



279 



he walk naked, and they see his 
shame. 

16 And he gathered them 
together into a place called in the 
Hebrew tongue Armageddon. 

17 And the seventh angel 

design and end of the comparison, 
and it should not be pursued any fur- 
ther. The thief comes to steal, to 
kill, and to destroy ; but we must not 
push the comparison to this length, 
for Jesus came for no such purpose. 
We see, then, that by pushing the 
application of metaphors and com- 
parisons too far, we do essential in- 
justice to the meaning of the sacred 
writers. Obtain, if possible, the true 
meaning, and there stop. See the 
remarks on iii. 3. The passage be- 
fore us is evidently parenthetical ; for 
the strain of the 14th verse is resumed 
in the 16th. Paul exhorted his breth- 
ren, at Thessalonica, not to let " the 
day of the Lord" overtake them as a 
thief; 1 Thess. v. 4 ; and this seems to 
be the design of the verse before us. 
The Christians were required to watch 
for that day, and keep their garments 
in order, that they might not be obliged 
to walk in their shame. 

16. Gathered them together. — Here 
the account of the battle mentioned in 
verse 14 is resumed again. And he 
gathered them together; i. e., the 
power did this which was mentioned 
in the verse last named, which went 
forth to the kings of the earth and of 
the whole world, to gather them to the 
battle of that great day, &c. *ft In 
the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. — And 
the place to which they were gathered 
together was called in Hebrew, Arma- 
geddon. There are different specu- 
lations as to what is meant by Arma- 
geddon. We incline to the opinion 
that it is formed from the Hebrew 
word signifying a mountain, and Me- 
giddo, the name of a place mentioned 
in the Old Testament; so that Ar- 
mageddon signifies the Mountain of 
Megiddo. It was a place famous in the 
history of the Old Testament for blood 



poured out his vial into the air; 

and there came a great voice 
out of the temple of heaven, 
from the throne, saying, It is 
done. 

18 And there were voices. 



and slaughter ; see Judges v. 19 ; 2 
Kings ix. 27; xxiii. 29; 2 Chron. 
xxxv. 22 ; Zech. xii. 11. Armageddon 
is therefore put for a place of slaugh- 
ter, because it had been noted for 
battles. The name Waterloo, in con- 
sequence of the great reverse suffered 
there by the Emperor Napoleon, is 
now used to signify any place of 
overthrow and defeat ; and so Arma- 
geddon is put for any place of great 
slaughter. Bonaparte once gained a 
great victory at Austerlitz. At an- 
other battle, in which he determined to 
succeed, and which he commenced 
just as the sun was rising, he pointed 
to the luminary and said, " It is the 
sun of Austerlitz." It was on this 
principle that the armies were said to 
be gathered together at Armageddon. 

17. Seventh angel. — The seventh 
angel was the last of the series. The 
description of the judgment is now 
about to be finished. ^[ Into the air. 
— In the imagery of the chapter the 
seventh vial of the wrath of God is 
said to have been poured into the air. 
^[ A great voice. — And there came a 
great voice out of the temple of heav- 
en, from the throne, the very place 
of the Holy One, saying, u It is done." 
That is, the last vial is poured out, 
and under this vial the judgment is 
completed. The facts to be stated in 
the succeeding verses of the account 
are the completion of the judgment. 
On the subject of " the great voice," 
see the note on xiv. 18. 

18. Thunders, and lightnings, and a 
great earthquake. — The terms used 
here are repeatedly employed in the 
Scriptures, and especially in the Apoc- 
alypse, to represent great commo- 
tions among men, and the overthrow 
of nations. An earthquake is usually 
attended by a great noise, like the 



280 



REVELATION. 



and thunders, and lightnings ; 
and there was a great earth- 
quake, such as was not since 
men were upon the earth, so 
mighty an earthquake, and so 
great. 

19 And the great city was 

rolling of thunder, which, in the lan- 
guage of Scripture, is the voice of 
God. And as nothing more quickly 
or more utterly destroys a place than 
an earthquake, so that convulsion of 
nature is made to represent, in the 
sacred writings, the overthrow of 
states and empires. The destruction 
of Jerusalem is described in the same 
terms ; Rev. vi. 12 ; viii. 5 ; xi. 13, 19. 
The last quoted verse bears a very 
strong resemblance to the verse now 
before us. It was the destruction of 
Rome and the other cities of the 
empire that was intended under the 
metaphor, as is evident from the next 
verse. 

19. Into three parts. — The great 
city was undoubtedly Rome, which, 
by the divine judgments became di- 
vided and broken, like a place broken 
• into chasms by an earthquake. The 
expression " three parts" is used here, 
as in other places in the Apocalypse, 
not in a strictly numerical sense. 
Other cities of the empire were prob- 
ably involved in the judgments. 

Great Babylon — i. e., Babylon spir- 
itually, meaning Rome, (as Jerusalem 
was called Sodom, for its wickedness, 
xi. 8,) came up in remembrance before 
God ; i.e., he did not forget her sins ; 
he did not fail " to give unto her the 
cup of the wine of the fierceness of 
his wrath ;" he did not forget to pour 
out her wickedness upon her. In this 
sense she came in remembrance before 
him. These seven vials were the 
wrath of God. They were " the seven 
last plagues." The vials were poured 
out " upon the earth," verse 1. The 
cup of the wine of the fierceness of 
God's wrath, then, was the same as 
the vials of God's wrath, and of course 
referred to the judgments that fell 



divided into three parts, and the 
cities of the nations fell : and 
great Babylon came in remem- 
brance before God, to give unto 
her the cup of the wine of the 
fierceness of his wrath. 

20 And every island fled 

upon the Roman Empire on the earth. 
Hence, when we are told, " The same 
shall drink of-the wine of the wrath 
of God, which is poured out without 
mixture into the cup of his indigna- 
tion ; and he shall, be tormented with 
fire and brimstone in the presence of 
the holy angels, and in the presence 
of the Lamb: and the smoke of their 
torment ascendeth up forever and 
ever," (Rev. xiv. 10, 11,) we are made 
certain that the metaphors refer to 
the judgment which God sent upon 
the Romans here on the earth, and not 
in the immortal state. Compare the 
last quoted text with Rev. xvi. 1, 19. 

20. Every island, &c. — These met- 
aphors are introduced merely to 
heighten the description. Islands and 
mountains are sometimes removed by 
earthquakes ; there is a correspon- 
dence, therefore, in the figures. This 
figure is identical with that employed 
to represent the judgment that befel 
the Jews ; see vi. 14. To describe 
the power of God, Isaiah had said, 
" Behold, the nations are as a drop of 
a bucket, and are counted as the 
small dust of the balance : behold, he 
taketh up the isles as a very little 
thing;" xl. 15. Ezekiel described 
with similar figures the fall of Tyre : 
" Thus saith the Lord God to Tyrus ; 
Shall not the isles shake at the sound 
of thy fall, when the wounded cry, 
when the slaughter is made in the 
midst of thee ? Then all the princes 
of the sea shall come down from their 
thrones, and lay away their robes, 
and put off their broidered garments : 
they shall clothe themselves with 
trembling ; they shall sit upon the 
ground, and shall tremble at every 
moment, and be astonished at thee. 
And they shall take up a lamentation 



CHAPTER XVI. 



281 



away, and the mountains were 
not found. 

for thee, and say to thee, How art 
thou destroyed, that wast inhabited 
of sea-faring men, the renowned city, 
which was strong in the sea, she and 
her inhabitants, which cause their 
terror to be on all that haunt it ! 
Now, shall the isles tremble in the 
day of thy fall ; yea, the isles that are 
in the sea shall be troubled at thy 
departure xxvi. 15 — IS. Is it to be 
wondered at, then, that the revelator 
should describe the fall of Rome by 
the metaphors that occur in this verse ? 
Commotions in the mountains are 
very frequently used to represent the 
judgments of God upon his enemies, 
or upon his rebellious children. Da- 
vid calls on God to send judgments 
on his enemies, in the following man- 
ner : " Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and 
come down: touch the mountains, 
and they shall smoke •" Psa. cxliv. 5. 
The mountains melted at his pres- 
ence ; Isa. xxxiv. 3. They flowed 
down; Idem, lxiv. 1 — 3. He made 
them waste ; Idem, xlii. 15. We can 
no longer wonder that the revelator, 
who had been educated in the school 
of the prophets, should describe the 
effects of the divine judgments on 
Rome, by the islands fleeing away, 
and the mountains being moved out 
of their places. 

21. A great hail. — And as to the 
hail, that also is parallel, like the 
judgments mentioned in the preceding 
verse, to the metaphor in xi. 19, 
which forms a part of the description 
of the judgments of the Jews. The 
storm of hail is represented as terribly 
severe, each stone about the weight 
of a talent, many pounds. A horrid 
judgment! Tf The plague thereof ?vas 
exceeding great. — This last sentence 
explains the whole design. What- 
ever metaphors are employed, the only 
object was to represent "the plagues 
to be "exceeding great." We submit 
our notes on this chapter with the 
following concluding observations. 
24* 



21 And there fell upon men 
a great hail out of heaven, 

These several vials, as we have 
shown, do not signify so many special 
judgments. They are not to be taken 
severally, but as a whole. The num- 
ber seven signifies completeness, per- 
fection, as if all the judgments of the 
Apocalypse that remained to be de- 
scribed were fulfilled by the vials. 
In them was "filled up the wrath of 
God xv. 1. But there is a propriety 
observed through the whole. The 
first vial was poured on the land, and 
a grievous sore fell on the people ; the 
second on the sea, and it became blood ; 
the third on the rivers and foun- 
tains, and the waters were changed 
in the same manner ; the fourth on 
the sun, and his power was greatly 
increased ; the fifth on the throne of 
the beast, and his kingdom was filled 
with darkness; the sixth on the Eu- 
phrates, and it was dried up, that the 
enemy might pass ; the seventh on 
the air, and that was agitated by thun- 
ders and lightnings, and the great 
hail and an earthquake. There is a 
plan in the whole : the scenery is not 
chaotic. The consequences of pour- 
ing out each vial are proper to the 
place or element on which it was 
poured out. The pouring out of the 
seven vials answers to the opening 
of the seven seals, mentioned from 
chap. vi. 1, to viii. 1. Under the 
seven seals were described the catas- 
trophes that came upon the Jews; 
under the seven vials those that came 
on the Romans. There is somewhat 
of a uniformit3 r in the plan pursued 
in both cases. The Jews were repre- 
sented as being about to be visited by 
war, prefigured by the rider on the 
red horse, (vi. 4 :) famine, by the ri- 
der on the black horse, with the pair 
of balances, (vi. 5;) and pestilence, 
by death on the pale horse, (vi. 8.) 
The same fate awaited the Romans. 
The plagues poured out from the 
seven vials are all resolvable into 
these three great evils of nations. 



282 



REVELATION. 



every stone about the weight 
of a talent : and men blas- 
phemed God because of the 

1st. The pestilence is described under 
the grievous sore, (xvi. 2,) which is 
represented to have been rendered 
more fatal, by the people being cut off 
from all power to cleanse themselves, 
the rivers and fountains being turned 
to blood, (verses 3, 4,) which they 
were also obliged to drink, (verse 6.) 
Was not this a forcible description of 
a pestilence ? 2d. The famine is de- 
scribed under the excessive drought 
and scorching. The idea of a famine 
must be involved ; for how could the 
fruits of the earth be produced, if the 
heat of the sun were increased to that 
degree, that " power was given to 
him to scorch men with fire ?" (verse 
8.) 3d. War was also evidently in- 
tended, for the sixth vial was poured 
out on the river Euphrates, which 
was dried up, that the way of the 
kings of the East [i. e., the kings 
reigning east of that river] might be 
prepared ;" verse 12 ; and what is said 
of gathering the forces together to 
battle at Armageddon is further con- 
firmation of the fact. Thus, although 
we place no dependence on the con- 
secutive order of the vials, and do 
not suppose they were designed to 
impress the Christians with the ex- 
pectation of a regular series of seven 
judgments, still we do see that the 
idea of pestilence, famine and war is 
involved. As in chapters vii., viii., ix., 
x. and xi., we found a continued de- 
scription of the events prefigured un- 
der the seven seals, so in chapters 
xvii., xviii., xix., <fec, we shall find a 
continued description of the events 
prefigured under the pouring out of 
the seven vials. 

The similarity of the imagery which 
was used under the seven trumpets, 
chapters viii., ix., x., xi., with that 
which occurs under the seven vials, 
chapter xvi., will best be seen by the 
following table : 



plague of the hail ; for the 
plague thereof was exceeding 
great. 

TRUMPETS. VIALS. 

Under the trumpets, Under the vials, judg- 

judgments fell : ments fell : 

1. On the earth, or 1. Upon the earth, 
land, viii. 7. or land, xvi. 2. 

2. On the sea, and 2. On the sea, and 
it is changed to blood, it is changed to blood, 
8. 3. 

3. On the rivers and 3. On the rivers and 
fountains, 10. fountains, 4. 

4. On the sun, 12. 4. On the sun, 8. 

5. The armies came 5. On the seat of 
forth against Jerusa- the beast, or place of 
lem, the seat of the his power, 10. 
Jewish persecuting 

power, ix. 1 — 12. 

6. Operations in the 6. Upon the great 
region of the Euphra- river Euphrates, 12. 
tes, 14. 

7. In the region of 7. Into the air; and 
the air : and there were there were voices, 
great voices in heaven, thunderings, light- 
saying, The kingdoms nings, and a great 
of this world are be- earthquake, and hail 
come the kingdoms of immensely great, ev- 
our Lord and of his ery hail stone about 
Christ ; and the con- the weight of a talent, 
tinued opposition was 17 — 21. 

denoted by lightnings, 
voices, thunderings, 
earthquakes, and great 
hail, 15—19. 

There is evidently a plan in the 
Apocalypse ; the book is not chaotic. 
Better is it to study it, in connection 
with the prophets, to see what is its 
true import, than to neglect it alto- 
gether, and scoff at it as unworthy 
of notice. 

CHAPTER XVII. 

Preliminary Remarks. — Let us see, 
at the commencement of this chapter, 
how far we have brought down the 
prophecy of the punishment of the 
Roman persecutors of Christianity. 
In the 12th chapter, we saw that the 
ecclesiastical power of Rome was set 
forth under the figure of the dragon ; 
and, in the 13th, the civil power of 
the same empire was set forth under 
the figure of a beast. Both the dragon 
and beast had seven heads and ten 



CHAPTER XVII. 



283 



CHAPTER XVII. 

AND there came one of the 
seven angels which had 
the seven vials, and talked with 

horns, showing that the same empire 
was represented by both; but there 
were such marks of dissimilarity, and 
such different actions attributed to 
each, that it is evident the power of 
the empire was described under two 
different aspects. Both the religious 
and civil power of Eome persecuted 
the Christians. In the 14th chapter 
(which we said was, as it were, a 
table of contents to what remained to 
be treated of in the Apocalypse) we 
found, 1st. A representation of the 
perseverance and fidelity of the Jew- 
ish church notwithstanding the per- 
secutions ; 1 — 5. 2d. The opening of 
the gospel to the Gentiles ; verses 6, 
7. 3d. The impending judgment of 
the Romans announced, who were to 
have no rest day nor night ; verses 
8—11 and 14—20 ; and 4th. During 
these troubles the Christians were 
blessed, by resting from their perse- 
cutions, while their works of great 
success in the gospel followed them 
wherever they went; verses 12, 13. 
So much for the 14th chapter. In 
the 15th we find just what we should 
expect, viz., the success of the gospel 
among the Gentiles ; for the church of 
the Gentiles is seen standing on the sea 
of glass, praising God and the Lamb, 
while the commission is issued to the 
angels to pour out their woes upon the 
wicked, idolatrous, persecuting em- 
pire. The seven angels are furnished 
with "seven golden vials [or bowls] 
full of the wrath of God;" and the 
16th chapter is occupied with a de- 
scription, highly metaphorical, and 
thus in keeping with the general style 
of the Apocalypse, of the pouring out 
of the vials on the earth. And thus 
we are brought to the 17th chapter. 

1. One of the sevea angels. — The 
17th chapter is explanatory of the 
judgments which hal been intended 



me, saying unto me, Come 
hither ; I will show unto thee 
the judgment of the great 
whore that sitteth upon many 
waters ; 

by the pouring out of the seven vials. 
Let the fact be distinctly remembered. 
The revelator says, that one of the 
seven angels, who had the seven vials, 
came to him, and talked with him, 
i. e., to give him further information 
concerning what was intended by the 
pouring out of the vials. It was not 
some other angel, but one of the 
seven-vial angels ; which seems to 
show that the same subject is to be 
continued — that what is to be de- 
scribed is a part of the judgment 
denoted by the vials. We are now to 
see whose judgment it was that had 
been described in xvi. 19 : "And the 
great city was divided into three parts, 
and the cities of the nations fell : and 
great Babylon came in remembrance 
before God, to give unto her the cup 
of the wine of the fierceness of his 
wrath." If I will show unto thee. — 
That is, " I will point out to thee more 
fully the judgment of great Babylon, 
of which I have already spoken." 

The judgment of the great whore. — • 
The metaphor of a woman " sitting 
on many waters," seems to be a kind 
of mixed metaphor ; but it will all 
appear plainly as we proceed. By 
the vile woman was intended the city 
spiritually called " Babylon ;" xiv. 8 ; 
xvi. 19 ; xvii. 5 ; xix. 2 ; and to speak 
of a city as being set on many waters 
is a very just description. The reve- 
lator learned his figure of the lewd 
woman from the prophets. Nahum 
thus describes the wickedness of Nin- 
eveh : " Because of the multitude of 
the whoredoms of the well-favored 
harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, 
that selleth nations through her whore- 
doms, and families through her witch- 
crafts ;" iii. 4. See the whole passage 
from verse 1 — 7 ; and for more con- 
cerning this figure of speech, see 
under verse 3, below. The judgment 



284 



REVELATION. 



2 With whom the kings of 
the earth have committed for- 
nication, and the inhabitants 

of the vile woman was a present judg- 
ment — a judgment about to break 
out when the revelator wrote his 
prophecy. The seven angels were 
directed to pour out their vials on the 
earth; xvi. 1 ; and these seven vials 
contained the seven last plagues, in 
which were filled up the wrath of God ; 
xv. 1. We must not look away from 
the earth in order to find this judg- 
ment. The judgments of God on the 
enemies of his church were made 
manifest to the early Christians ; xv. 
4. " Thy wrath is come, and the time 
of the dead that they should be 
judged;" xi. 18. "The hour of his 
judgment is come xiv. 7. " In one 
hour is thy judgment come xviii. 
10. See particularly the notes on xi. 
18 ; xiv. 7 ; xv. 4 ; and xvi. 5 — 7. 
We see, then, very clearly, that no 
judgment is referred to here, except 
that which took place in this world. 
Whether the doctrine of a judgment 
in the future state is true, is no part 
of our purpose to discuss ; we say 
merely that that doctrine gets no sup- 
port from the passages before us. 
If That sitteth upon many waters. — The 
waters on which the woman sat rep- 
resented " peoples, and multitudes, 
and nations, and tongues," as we 
shall show more fully under verse 15, 
where the metaphor of "the many 
waters" is explained. Examine that 
verse. 

2. Committed fornication. — The spe- 
cies of crime here mentioned is not to 
be understood strictly ; it is a figure 
to denote that the kings of the earth 
had combined with her to do great 
wickedness. They had carried on 
illicit trade with her. and thereby cor- 
rupted and debased the people. See 
xviii. 3. It was very common for the 
prophets, and even the New Testa- 
ment writers, to represent other sins 
and improprieties under the figure of 
offences against conjugal life. See 



of the earth have been made 
drunk with the wine of her 
fornication. 



Isa. xxiii. 17 ; Ezk. xvi. 30. Also 
the following passage : " Wherefore, 
say unto the house of Israel, Thus 
saith the Lord God; Are ye polluted 
after the manner of your fathers? — 
and commit ye whoredom after their 
abominations? For when ye offer 
your gifts, when ye make your sons 
to pass through the fire, ye pollute 
yourselves with all your idols, even 
unto this day : and shall I be inquired 
of by you, house of Israel? As I 
live, saith the Lord God, I will not 
be inquired of by you ;" Ezk. xx. 30, 
31. See the notes on ii. 14, 20 ; xiv. 
4. We are not to understand any- 
thing more, therefore, from the reve- 
lator's words, than that the kings of 
the earth consorted with spiritual 
Babylon, or Eome, to do wickedly ; 
and this was done principally through 
the influence of Eome. ^f Drunk with 
the wine of her fornication. — She had 
power to entice the nations, to inflame 
their passions, to madden them ; and 
hence it is said, "The inhabitants of 
the earth have been made drunk with 
the wine of her fornication." Here 
is a double metaphor. The crime 
mentioned is itself a figure, and the 
"wine of fornication" is metaphor 
upon metaphor. In verse 4, the 
woman is said to have a golden cup 
in her hand, in which she carried her 
intoxicating wine. The revelator de- 
scribes the wrath of God by precisely 
the same metaphor — " the wine of 
the wrath of God, which is poured 
out without mixture into the cup of 
his indignation ;" xiv. 10. See the 
remarks under that passage. This 
figure will be still further explained 
under verse 4, which see below. 

3. In the spirit. — The revelator 
says, he carried me away in the spirit ; 
i. e., as if he had said, " I did not go 
bodily, but in my imagination mere- 
ly." The scene was so vivid, that 
although he was not there in reality, 



CHAPTER XVII. 



285 



3 So he carried me away in 
the spirit into the wilderness : 
and I saw a woman sit upon 

yet it seemed to him that he was so. 
He was there spiritually, i. e., men- 
tally, ^f Woman sit upon a scarlet- 
colored beast. — The scene which laid 
before him was this : he appeared to 
be in the wilderness, and he saw a 
woman, sitting upon a scarlet-colored 
beast, full of blasphemous names, 
(i. e., the beast was full of these 
names,) having seven heads and ten 
horns. The woman was the harlot 
mentioned in the two preceding ver- 
ses ; and of course this vision must 
have been something like what John 
expected to see, from the invitation 
which, had been given him by the 
angel, " Come hither, I will show un- 
to thee," &c. It was very common 
for the prophets to represent a city 
under the figure of a woman. "What 
was the " daughter of Zion," but the 
temple or city of Jerusalem? "What 
was the " daughter of Babylon," but 
the city of Babylon ? " They shall hold 
the bow and the lance : they are cruel, 
and will not show mercy : their voice 
shall roar like the sea, and they shall 
ride upon horses, every one put in 
array, like a man to the battle, against 
thee, O daughter of Babylon. The 
king of Babylon hath heard the report 
of them, and his hands waxed feeble : 
anguish took hold of him, and pangs 
as of a woman in travail;" Jer. 1. 42, 
43. Instances in which this figure 
occurs in the prophets are too numer- 
ous to be even referred to. It was 
no uncommon thing, then, among the 
Jews, to personify a city, and describe 
it as a woman — a virgin, if it was 
pure — a harlot, if it was, like Rome, 
wicked. Those who were well versed 
in the Jewish prophets would readily 
have understood these things, on the 
earliest appearance of the Apocalypse. 
The woman mentioned in the verse- 
before us sat " upon a scarlet-colored 
beast." This was the beast mentioned 
in chap. xiii. 1. He had seven heads 



a scarlet-colored beast, full of 
names of blasphemy, having 
seven heads and ten horns. 



and ten horns, as mentioned in that 
place, and was " full of the names of 
blasphemy ;" and so we read that the 
beast (xiii. 1) had " upon his heads 
the name of blasphemy." There is 
no doubt, then, that the beast, on 
which the woman sat, represented the 
secular power of the empire ; and the 
city oi Rome did sit on that beast. 
Being the imperial city, the centre of 
the power, both secular and ecclesi- 
astical, the empire sustained the city, 
and contributed immensely to its 
support and grandeur. The woman, 
therefore, is represented as resting or 
sitting on the beast. Scarlet and pur- 
ple were colors of great magnificence 
among the Romans; they were the 
colors of state, the mark or sign of 
imperial power. Hence the beast is 
scarlet-colored. If Full of the names 
of blasphemy. — This may mean, full 
of names, or titles, or sentences, that 
are in fact blasphemous, and may 
refer to the distinctions which the 
emperors saw fit to take upon them- 
selves. The seven heads and ten 
horns have been already explained, 
under chapters xii. and xiii., and will 
be explained again below, under vs. 
9 — 12. There is a conjecture of 
Lowman, which we think not alto- 
gether unworthy of credit. He says : 
" The beast seems to be called scarlet- 
colored, because a scarlet covering, or 
rich cloth, was thrown over it. Might 
not that rich horse-cloth be em- 
broidered with gold, and have heads 
and horns worked upon it, as emblems 
of power and authority, with proud 
mottoes, or titles, amounting to blas- 
phemy ?" There seems to be some- 
thing reasonable in this conjecture. 
(See Paraphrase, &c, page 207.) 
Having noticed John's description of 
the beast, we turn now to that of the 
woman. 

4. The woman was arrayed, &c. 
— Contrast the appearance of this 



286 REVELATION. 



4 And the woman was arrayed 
in purple and scarlet-color, and 
decked with gold and precious 
stones and pearls, having a 



woman with that of the woman men- 
tioned in chapter xii. 1, and mark the 
difference. The former is distin- 
guished by rich and gaudy decora- 
tions ; the latter is clothed with the 
sun, the source of light : the one is 
decked with gold and precious stones, 
and pearls, and has a golden cup in 
her hand, which is full of abomina- 
tions and filthiness • while the other 
is lifted above all earthly glory and 
magnificence, and has the moon 
under her feet, and on her head a 
crown or circle of twelve stars : the 
former represents the city of Rome, 
distinguished by great magnificence, 
but very corrupt ; the latter repre- 
sents the holy city, New Jerusalem, 
which came down from God out of 
heaven, and looked as a bride pre- 
pared for her husband. The woman 
[Rome] was, as we have said, 
" arrayed in purple and scarlet." 
These were the colors of the imperial 
habit, — the purple in times of peace, 
and the scarlet in times of war. The 
object of the revelator is to set her 
off with all possible magnificence of 
dress. But he borrows his figures 
from the prophets. See the follow- 
ing : " Son of man, take up a lamen- 
tation upon the king of Tyrus, and 
say unto him, Thus saith the Lord 
God ; Thou sealest up the sum, full 
of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. 
Thou hast been in Eden the garden 
of God ; every precious stone was thy 
covering, the sardius, topaz, and the 
diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the 
jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and 
the carbuncle, and gold : the work- 
manship of thy tabrets and of thy 
pipes, was prepared thee in the day 
that thou wast created ;" Ezk. xxviii. 
12, 13. A golden cup in her hand. 
— This also is a prophetic metaphor, 
as will be seen by the following pas- 
sage : " Babylon hath been a golden 



golden cup in her hand full of 
abominations and filthiness of 
her fornication : 

5 And upon her forehead was 



cup in the Lord's hand, that made all 
the earth drunken : the nations have 
drunken of her wine ; therefore the 
nations are mad Jer. li. 7. The 
cup agrees exactly with the descrip- 
tion of the woman. It is a golden 
cup, and she is dressed with great 
magnificence. ^[ Full of abominations? 
&c. — But notwithstanding it is a 
golden cap, it is full of abominations 
and filthiness : and so, although she 
was decorated with such a profusion 
of rich ornaments, yet she was full 
of wickedness and impurity. The 
influence of Rome upon the nations 
at large was decidedly bad 5 and 
hence the woman is said to give the 
contents of the cup to the nations to> 
drink, and they were made drunk 
with the wine of her fornication. 
Wine is used in the Apocalypse as a 
metaphor in two senses, viz., 1st. To 
represent the wrath of God ; xiv. 10 j 
xvi. 19; and 2d. To represent the 
wickedness of men ; xiv. 8 ; xvii. 2 ; 
xviii. 3. The reason is easily seen. 
They both madden men, like very 
strong wine excessively used. The 
judgments which God sends on men 
sometimes madden them, and make 
them act as though their reason was 
destroyed. "And the fifth angel 
poured out his vial upon the seat of 
the beast ; and his kingdom was full 
of darkness ; and they gnawed their 
tongues for pain, and blasphemed 
the God of heaven, because of their 
pains and their sores, and repented 
not of their deeds j" xvi. 10, 11. 
Judgments producing such effects 
might well be represented by inflam- 
matory wine. So the maddening 
influence of evil examples, especially 
those of a bad woman, are well 
described by the wine of fornication. 
Men's reason is driven away, and 
they seem to know not, nor care, what 
they do. The influence of the woman 



CHAPTER XYH. 



287 



a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, 



Rome, therefore, was represented by 
a golden cup, corresponding to her 
outward magnificence, which is full I 
of the means of temptation and de- 
struction. 

5. Upon her forehead. — The fore- 
head is mentioned as the most con- 
spicuous part of the body on which 
to place the label. So Aaron bore 
the motto, " Holiness to the Lord,'' 
engraved on a golden plate, upon his 
forehead. l: And thou shaft make a 
plate of pure gold, and grave upon 
it, like the engravings ot" a signet, 
HOLINESS TO THE LORD. And 
thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that 
it may be upon the mitre ; upon the 
fore-front of the mitre it shall be. 
And it shall be upon Aaron's fore- 
head, that Aaron may bear the 
iniquity of the holy things, which the 
children of Israel shall hallow in all I 
their holy gifts ; and it shall be 
always upon his forehead, that they j 
may be accepted before the Lord;" 
Exod. xxviii. 36 — 38. Subsequently | 
it became a custom to place a mark 
of approbation on the foreheads of 
those who were worthy of particular 
honors. (: And the Lord said unto 
him. Go through the midst of the city, 
through the midst of Jerusalem, and 
set a mark upon the foreheads of the 
men that sigh and that cry for all the 
abominations that be done in the 
midst thereof;" Ezk. ix. 4. Thus 
the hundred and forty-four thousand 
were sealed in the forehead ; Rev. 
vii. 3 ; which mark the enemies of the 
gospel had not ; ix. 4. The redeemed 
are said to have the Father's name 
written in their foreheads; xiv. 1. 
The forehead being the place on 
which marks, or inscriptions of honor, 
were worn, earthly potentates con- 
ferred honors to be thus worn ; and 
hence they ordained sentences and 
titles for that purpose. The beast I 
caused all that worshipped him to 
receive his name in their foreheads ; 
xiii. 16; xiv. 9. It is said by some 
writers, that lewd and public women I 



were accustomed, among the Greeks 
and Romans, to wear their name and 
their character upon their foreheads, 
and perhaps this was done among 
some of the earlier nations ; and 
hence the prophet speaks of a person 
without shame as having a harlot's 
forehead. " And thou hadst. a 
whore's forehead, thou refusedst to be 
ashamed:" Jer. iii. 3. It is easy 
enough to be seen, then, why, in the 
case before us, the woman is said to 
have her title written upon her fore- 
head. ^[ Mystery, Babylon the great, 
$zc. — We can easily see why the 
woman should wish to place upon her 
forehead the title, " BABYLON, 
THE GREAT;" but why she should 
wish to call herself '• mystery," or to 
declare that she was " the mother 
of harlots and abominations of the 
earth," is more difficult to be known. 
For although she may be supposed 
to have had no shame, yet she would 
hardly have desired to wear an inscrip- 
tion that would destroy all her influ- 
ence, and warn the unwary in the 
most direct manner against her. We 
think the conjecture of Prof. Stuart 
on this verse a very reasonable one. 
He puts it as follows: •'•'And upon 
her forehead was a name mysteriously 
written, BABYLON, THE GREAT; 
(the mother of harlots and abomina- 
tions of the earth ;") as if the lan- 
guage quoted in parenthesis was that 
of the revelator, and formed no part 
of the title. And now a few words 
as to Babylon. The ancient city 
Babylon was situated on the Eu- 
phrates, but its history is veiled in 
much mystery. It is doubtful where 
the exact site was. The accounts of 
it approach almost to the miraculous. 
The walls are said to have been about 
three hundred and fifty feet high, and 
eighty-seven feet thick ; to have had 
two hundred and fifty towers, and one 
hundred gates of brass, and to have 
been more than sixty miles in circuit. 
The temple cf Belus and the hanging 
gardens were among the greatest 



288 



REVELATION. 



THE MOTHER OF HAR- 
LOTS AND ABOMINA- 
TIONS OF THE EARTH. 



curiosities of this gigantic place, of 
which almost every trace is destroyed. 
It is certain that Babylon proper was 
not intended by the motto on the 
woman's forehead. Hence, she is 
said to be Babylon, not really, but by 
way of mystery, enigma, or figure ; 
as if it were said, " Upon her forehead 
was a name written metaphorically, 
Babylon, the great." When the Son 
of man declared to the revelator the 
mystery of the seven stars and the 
seven golden candlesticks, he said, 
" The seven stars are the angels of the 
seven churches, and the seven candle- 
sticks are the seven churches ;" this 
was giving the mysterious or meta- 
phorical sense of the figures em- 
ployed. So when the revelator says, 
in the chapter before us, "I will tell 
thee the mystery of the woman and 
of the beast," &c, (ver. 7,) he goes 
on to show what was meant by those 
metaphors. "Mystery, Babylon," 
therefore, means, riot Babylon proper, 
but Babylon in a mysterious, or met- 
aphorical sense. And why was the 
figure Babylon used? The term 
seems to have been one which the 
woman was willing to apply to her- 
self. Babylon was truly a great city, 
and one of the wonders of the world. 
Rome claimed to be in glory and 
magnificence what Babylon was, 
when at the height of her pride. 
The sacred writers compare Rome to 
Babylon for other reasons, viz., to 
foreshadow her destruction. Babylon 
had been the place to which the Jews 
had been carried captive, (see Psa. 
cxxxvii.,) and lor the bondage and 
indignities which they suffered there, 
they believed that God would over- 
throw the city and kingdom, which 
was so effectually done that doubts 
now remain as to the exact site of 
the former. Nebuchadnezzar carried 
away the holy vessels from Jerusalem 
and put them in his temple at Baby- 
lon ; 2 Chron. xxxvi. 7. For th,e I 



6 And I saw the woman 
drunken with the blood of the 
saints, and with the blood of the 

wickedness of the city God decreed, 
that "Babylon, the glory of king- 
doms, the beauty of the Chaldees' 
excellency, shall be as when God 
overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah 
Isa. xiii. 19. Hence comes the prov- 
erb, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen j" 
Isa. xxi. 9, and Jer. li. 8. Reason 
enough, therefore, why Babylon was 
used metaphorically for Rome, just 
as Sodom and Egypt were used for 
Jerusalem : " The great city, which 
spiritually (or by mystery) is called 
Sodom and Egypt, where also our 
Lord was crucified ;" xi. 8. Rome 
was doomed to fall, and to become 
"the habitation of devils, and the 
hold of every foul spirit, and a cage 
of every unclean and hateful bird ;" 
xviii. 2. Rome was, in truth, the 
mother of harlots, whether she would 
see fit to wear such an acknowledg- 
ment or not. It was a habit with 
the prophets to call any wicked city a 
harlot. As for instance, 1st. Jerusa- 
lem. "How is the faithful city be- 
come a harlot!" Isa. i. 21. Also 
Jer. iii. 20, and Ezk. xvi. 15, — in fact 
the whole of the last named chapter. 
2d. Tyre ; see Isa. xxiii. 15 — 18. 
Scarcely anything was more common 
than for the prophets to represent 
wicked cities under this similitude. 
The language and style of the reve- 
lator, in this respect, would not, there- 
fore, have appeared strange to the 
people whom he addressed. The 
" mother of harlots " shows how wide 
was the influence of Rome, as if she 
was the head of a family of cities of 
that description. 

6. Drunken with the blood of the 
saints. — The woman was intoxicated 
with the blood of saints ; i. e., she had 
revelled in their blood, until she had 
become perfectly mad or delirious. 
To make one drunk with blood, is to 
revel in slaughter. "I will make 
mine arrows drunk with blood, and 
my sword shall devour flesh 3" Deut. 



CHAPTER XVII. 



289 



martyrs of Jesus: arid when I 
saw her, I wondered with great 
admiration. 

xxxii. 42. Again we find a similar 
metaphor : " For this is the day of the 
Lord God of hosts, a day of ven- 
geance, that he may avenge him of his 
adversaries : and the sword shall de- 
vour, and i t shall be satiate and made 
drunk with their blood : for the Lord 
God of hosts hath a sacrifice in the 
north country by the river Euphrates 
Jer. xlvi. 10. Once more: " And ye 
shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink 
blood till ye be drunken, of my sacri- 
fice which I have sacrificed for you;" 
Ezk. xxxix. 19. The figure of the 
revelator, it will be seen, was a very 
common one in his day. His mean- 
ing was, that the woman Rome had 
rioted in the blood of the saints, and 
the blood of the martyrs of Jesus, and 
she scarcely knew what she was 
doing, like a person drunken or delir- 
ious. ^[ I wondered with great admira- 
tion. — When the revelator saw the 
woman, "he wondered with great 
admiration," i. e., with great wonder, 
not with pleasure, or approbation. 
The sense of the word admiration has 
somewhat changed. It formerly sig- 
nified wonder, without approval ; but 
its common signification now is, 
gratifying wonder. In the passage, 
it means great marvel ; and hence 
the angel says, in the next verse, 
u Wherefore didst thou marvel ? " 

7. Wherefore didst thou marvel ? 
— The revelator marvelled at the 
woman, and the beast on which she 
sat ; as if he would have said, What 
can these things mean ? To this the 
angel replies: "J will tell thee the 
mystery." What mystery? Ans. 
That " of the woman and of the beast 
that carrieth her, which hath the 
seven heads and ten horns." I will 
tell thee what these metaphors mean ; 
I will let thee into the hidden sense. 

Mystery. — Unfortunately, the word 
mystery has been greatly misunder- 
stood. It has been thought to mean, 
something absolutely incomprehensi- 
25 



7 And the angel said unto 
me, Wherefore didst thou mar- 
vel ? I will tell thee the mystery 

ble and unintelligible. But this, as 
Parkhurst says, is a very unscriptural 
and dangerous sense. " I think 
proper to observe, (says that author.) 
that I have carefully 'taken notice of 
all the passages in the New Testa- 
ment in which the term mystery 
occurs ; and this I have the rather 
done, because a most unscriptural 
and dangerous sense is but too often 
put upon this word, as if it meant 
somewhat absolutely unintelligible 
and incomprehensible. A strange 
mistake ! since in almost every text 
wherein it is used, it is mentioned as 
something that is revealed, declared, 
shown, spoken, or which may be 
known or understood." — (See his 
Lexicon, under Musterion.) Dr. 
Campbell maintains that this word is 
used in two senses only in the New 
Testament, neither of which has any 
relation to the idea of incomprehensi- 
bility. One sense is that of arcanum, 
a secret. But he adds : " The word 
is sometimes employed to denote the 
figurative sense, as distinguished 
from the literal, which is conveyed 
under any parable, allegory, symbol- 
ical action, representation, dream, or 
vision. It is plain that in this case 
the term musterion is used compara- 
tively ; for, however clear the mean- 
ing intended to be conveyed in the 
apologue, or parable, may be to the 
intelligent, it is obscure, compared 
with the literal sense, which, to the 
unintelligent proves a kind of veil. 
The one is, as it were, open to the 
senses ; the other requires penetra- 
tion and reflection. Perhaps there 
was some allusion to this import of 
the term when our Lord said to his 
disciples, ' To you it is given to know 
the mystery of the kingdom of 
heaven ; but to them that are without, 
all these things are done in parables 
(Mark iv. 11.) The apostles were 
let into the secret, and got the spiritual 
sense of the similitude, whilst the 



290 



REVELATION. 



of the woman, and of the beast 
that carrieth her, which hath the 
seven heads and ten horns. 
8 The beast that thou sawest, 



multitude amused themselves with 
the letter, and searched no further. 
In this sense musterion is used in these 
words : ' The mystery of the seven 
stars which thou sawest in my right 
hand, and the seven golden candle- 
sticks. The seven stars are the 
angels of the seven churches, and the 
seven candlesticks are the seven 
churches Rev. i. 20. Again, in the 
same book, 1 1 will tell thee the mys- 
tery of the woman, and of the beast 
that carrieth her,"' &c. Thus far 
Dr. Campbell ; and the testimony of 
these two authors we shall regard as 
sufficient to settle the question a? to 
the New Testament sense of the word 
before us. — (Prelim. Dis. ix., pt. i., 
sec. 7.) 

8. The beast that thou sawest was, 
and is not. — Here the angel begins to 
tell the mystery of the woman and 
the beast that carrieth her, agreeably 
to the promise made by him, which 
was given in the preceding verse. 
The beast is first described, notwith- 
standing the woman is mentioned 
first in the order of the chapter. The 
description of the beast occupies from 
verse 8 to verse 17, inclusive. The 
description of the woman is exceed- 
ingly brief, and occupies only the 18th 
verse. Let us first examine carefully 
what is said about the beast. " The 
beast that thou sawest, was, and is 
not ; and shall ascend out of the bot- 
tomless pit." Here are three kinds 
of time mentioned, viz., the past, the 
present, and the future. He was. he 
is not, and shall be. What does this 
mean? It has the appearance of an 
enigma. "What should we infer from 
the words except that the power 
intended by the beast once was, then 
ceased to be, and afterwards revived 
again? Prof. Stuart solves the 
enigma by referring to a belief which 
existed in regard to Nero, the great 



was, and is not: and shall 
ascend out of the bottomless pit, 
and go into perdition : and they 
that dwell on the earth shall 



persecutor of the church, that he 
should be assassinated, should disap- 
pear for a time, and then should 
revive again and reign. His words 
are: "The beast means the Eoman 
emperors, specifically Nero, of whom 
the report spread throughout the 
empire is, that he will revive, after 
being apparently slain, and will come 
as it were from the abyss, or Hades ; 
but he will still perish, and that 
speedily." If such a belief did exist 
in the empire in regard to Nero, it 
would be sufficient ground for the 
revelator's description, although he 
himself had no faith in what the mul- 
titude believed. His reference to this 
common belief or superstition would 
show just as conclusively who he 
meant, as though the belief were ever 
so well founded. In the description 
of the beast in xiii. 3, we read : " And 
I saw one of his heads as it were 
wounded to death; and his deadly 
wound was healed." This may also 
be a reference to the common belief 
concerning Nero. We spake not pos- 
itively of the sense of that verse, when 
we considered it in its place. In xiii. 
14, the revelator is particular to men- 
tion that the beast had his wound by a 
sword, which would make it possible 
that the assassination of Nero was 
referred to. The beast, it was said, 
" should ascend out of the bottomless 
pit,- and go into perdition." This 
scourge came up from beneath. He 
did not come down, from above, as a 
blessing from heaven ; but sprang up 
from beneath, as a scourge to the 
world. See, also, xi. 7. But he will 
not remain long ; he is to' be lost ; he 
will utterly pass away and be heard 
of no more ; he will go into perdition. 
See remarks under ver. 11 of this 
chapter, % And they that dwell on the 
earth shall wonder. — That is, all ex- 
cept the Christians, all except those 



CHAPTER XVII. 



291 



wonder, (whose names were not 
written in the book of life from 
the foundation of the world.,) 
when they behold the beast that 
was, and is not, and yet is. 
9 And here is the mind 



whose names were written in the 
book of life from the foundation of the 
world, should wonder when they 
beheld the beast that was, and is not, 
and yet is. Here is the enigma 
again. But does not this repeti- 
tion help us to solve it with still 
more confidence ? The worshippers 
of the beast would wonder, but the 
Christians would not wonder. The 
worshippers of the beast, believing 
that Nero was destined to be assassi- 
nated, and to revive from the dead, 
would wonder to behold him. Refer- 
ence seems to be made to this in xiii. 
3 : " I saw one of his heads as it were 
wounded to death; and his deadly 
wound was healed ; and all the world 
wondered after the beast i. e., all the 
heathen world. If the revelator re- 
ferred to the popular superstition in 
regard to Nero, he did not mean that 
the head was actually wounded to 
death, but merely as if it were so, — 
a supposition. And when they be- 
lieved that the deadly wound was to 
be healed, that is, that the emperor 
should die and come to life again, 
they all wondered after him ; and he 
would naturally have been a subject 
of wonder under such circumstances. 
But the Christians, whose names were 
written in the book of life from the 
foundation of the world, wondered 
not, because they had no belief in 
the popular superstition. Let us pass 
on. 

9. Here is the mind which hath wis- 
dom. — Referring to what had pre- 
ceded. Here, in what has been said, 
is a mind, or manifestation of a mind, 
that has wisdom. It will require 
wisdom to understand it. A similar 
expression occurs xiii. 18. And cer- 
tainly this is the most difficult part 
of the chapter to comprehend j and 



which hath wisdom. The seven 
heads are seven mountains, on 
which the woman sitteth. 

10 And there are seven 
kings : five are fallen, and one 
is, and the other is not yet 

requires the most wisdom. % The 
seven heads are seven mountains, on which 
the woman sitteth. — Rome was the 
seven-hilled city; and for this she 
was famous all the world over. There 
cannot remain a doubt that Rome, 
therefore, was intended by the woman 
who sat on the scarlet-colored beast. 
Lowman says : " The interpretation 
of the angel leaves no room to 
doubt, that the persecuting power 
here prophesied of was to be some 
empire of which the city of Rome 
was to be the capital, or seat. Rome 
was as well known by its situation on 
seven hills, or mountains, as by the 
name of Rome itself. TJrbs septicollis 
was never mistaken for any other 
city, Roman authors have so fully 
determined the sense of it." 

10. There are seven kings. — The 
seven heads of the beast, it is seen, 
may have a twofold application, for 
they may signify not only the seven 
mountains on which the city was 
built, but also a succession of seven 
kings, or emperors. Of this succes- 
sion of seven, we are told, 1st. That 
five are fallen, i. e., have passed 
away. 2d. That one is, viz., the 
sixth, who was then in power. 3d. 
The other, or the seventh, is not yet 
come ; he is yet to reign. And 4th. 
When he cometh, he will continue a 
short space only, or will have a very 
short reign. All these circumstances 
put together seem to us to point very 
directly to the Roman emperors, the 
word Basileus, (Greek, for king,) being 
usual among the Greeks for a Roman 
emperor. We commence with Julius, 
the first of the Caesars, who, although 
not by name an emperor, still exer- 
cised all the power of that potentate ; 
and it was because he adopted Augus- 
tus as his son, that the latter came to 



293 



REVELATION. 



come ; and when he cometh, he 
must continue a short space. 

11 And the beast that was, 
and is not, even he is the eighth, 



the throne. Julius, Augustus, Tibe- 
rius, Caligula, and Claudius. These 
are the five who had fallen. One is, 
viz., NERO, who was the successor 
of Claudius ; and the other, who had 
not " yet come," was Galba, who had 
a very short reign, agreeing with the 
declaration, "he must continue a 
short space." Or even if we begin at 
Augustus, we then have Augustus, 
Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, as 
the five who were fallen ; Galba was 
the sixth, and Otho the seventh, who 
reigned even a less time than Galba, 
viz., only three months. The beast 
represented the Roman secular power ; 
but when he is spoken of as "the 
beast that was, and is not, and yet 
is," the enigma refers, as we have 
shown, to the popular superstition in 
regard to Nero. The Apocalypse 
seems to have been written in the 
time of the sixth emperor, which was 
Nero, if we begin with Julius Ceesar, 
or Galba, if we begin with Augustus. 
But that Nero was the sixth, seems 
to be evident from the succeeding 
verse. 

11. The beast that was, and is not. — 
The beast that "was and is not," he 
is the eighth, but he had been one of 
the seven. Is not a double reign 
here referred to? To whom then can 
this refer but Nero? Not that he 
actually reigned twice, but there was 
a popular impression that he would 
do so. He then would be the eighth, 
having been the sixth. Because, 
when cut off, his successor would 
have been appointed, and he, at his 
return, would have taken rank next 
after his successor. How true is it, 
then, if we consider the prevalent 
expectation in regard to Nero, that 
the beast that was and is not, even he 
is the eighth, and yet he was of the 
seven. He was " the beast that was, 
and is not, and yet is." The return 



and is of the seven, and goeth 
into perdition. 

12 And the ten horns which 
thou sawest are ten kings, 



of this emperor to the throne is spoken 
of agreeably to the public expecta- 
tion ; and this shows that the Apoca- 
lypse must have been written while 
that expectation existed, and before 
subsequent facts showed that it was 
fallacious. % Goelh into perdition. — 
Perdition, in the Scriptures, is synony- 
mous with destruction. The Greek 
word that we find in this place is 
translated both these ways in the 
New Testament. Judas was called 
the " son of perdition," because he 
was utterly lost to the church. Goeth 
into perdition signifieth, goeth into- 
destruction. The being referred to- 
in the verse before us was entirely 
cast out from power, and destroyed. 
Yv r hen Napoleon, for instance, was 
throAvn down from his high power, 
driven out of France by the forces of 
Europe, obliged to give himself up a 
prisoner to the commander of a Brit- 
ish vessel of war. and was sent to St. 
Helena to spend the rest of his days,, 
be went "into perdition •" he was 
destroyed root and branch, so that not 
a vestige of his former glory re- 
mained. 

12. Ten horns. — Having finished 
what he had to say upon the seven 
heads, the revelator next proceeded to 
explain the ten horns. They repre- 
sented ten kings, i. e., ten lesser 
rulers, who had not been exalted tc* 
imperial powder, but who received 
power for a short time with the aid 
and cooperation of the beast, the 
highest secular authority. The reve- 
lator drew this metaphor of the ten 
horns from Dan. vii. 7, 20, 24. In 
the last quoted verse it is said : " And 
the ten horns out of this kingdom are 
ten kings that arise." Zechariah 
uses the figure of the horn to signify 
earthly potentates; chap. i. IS, 21. 
As to what particular ten kings are 
intended by the revelator in the pas* 



CHAPTER XVII. 



293 



which have received no king- 
dom as yet ; but receive power 
as kings one hour with the 
beast. 

13 These have one mind, 
and shall give their power and 
strength unto the beast. 

sage before us,, we shall not under- 
take to say ; but there seems to be no 
room to doubt, that they were cotem- 
poraneous rulers, who had submitted 
to the imperial power of Rome. The 
empire consisted of many nations, or, 
in the words of the revelator, of " peo- 
ples, and multitudes, and nations, and 
tongues." The rulers of these differ- 
ent nations, called kings in the Greek, 
having submitted to Rome, were per- 
mitted to reign, under subjection to 
the empire, and hence it is said: 
" they receive power as kings for one 
hour (i. e., for a short time) with the 
beast." They were for a time united 
in their devotion to the empire, and 
gave their power and strength unto 
the beast. But this would not long 
continue. Great changes were soon 
to take place. 

13. These have one mind. — They 
were at this time united in maintain- 
ing the power of the beast, that is, 
the secular power of the empire. 
They consented to be tributary. But 
this was not long to remain, as is evi- 
dent from ver. 16. 

14. These shall make war with the 
Lamb. — These kings being for the 
time united with the beast, and reign- 
ing under his concurrence and obser- 
vation, should like him oppose and 
persecute the Christians. Herod, 
Pilate, Festus, Felix and Agrippa, 
were all opposed to Christianity. 
Jesus forewarned his disciples that 
they should be brought before govern- 
ors and kings for his sake ; Matt. x. 
18; Mark xiii. 9; Luke xxi. 12. 
Paul was a chosen vessel to bear the 
name of Christ before the Gentiles 
and kings, &cc. • Acts ix. 15. These 
kings opposed Christianity, and per- 
secuted the disciples of Jesus, and 

25* 



14 These shall make war 
with the Lamb, and the Lamb 
shall overcome them ; for he is 
Lord of lords, and King of 
kings ; and they that are with 
him are called, and chosen, and 
faithful. 

hence are said " to make war with the 
Lamb," war being put in this place, 
as it is in many others, for spiritual 
contests, % The Lamb shall overcome 
them. — Jesus was the Lamb of God ; 
John i. 29 ; and there is no character 
in which he appears in the Apoca- 
lypse more frequently than in this ; 
and as it was in this sacrificial char- 
acter that war was made upon him, 
so in this character he defends his 
cause, and overcomes his enemies. 
For with the meekness of the Lamb, 
he combines great power; "he is 
Lord of lords and King of kings;" 
and his possession, his subjects, his 
spiritual warriors, are called and 
chosen and faithful. Jesus was not 
an earthly king ; he was not " king 
of the Jews " in the sense in which 
they accused him of a design to usurp 
the power over them. His kingdom 
was not of this world ; but it was the 
kingdom of God, the kingdom of 
heaven, — an everlasting kingdom. 
Jesus had power over the hearts of 
men, for "all power in heaven and 
on earth was committed unto him ;" 
Matt, xxviii. 18. Jesus received his 
power from the original source of all 
power, from the "God of gods and 
Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty 
and a terrible ;" Deut. x. 17 ; from 
" the blessed and only potentate," the 
primitive "King of kings and Lord 
of lords:" 1 Tim. vi. 15. See, also, 
Rev. xix. 16. This is the reason 
why he must overcome ; and second, 
there is the additional reason that his 
forces are not promiscuous, but called 
and chosen and faithful. Called, see 
Rom. viii. 30—37. Chosen, Mark 
xiii. 20 ; Acts ix. 15 ; 1 Peter ii. 9. 
Faithful, Col. i. 2, and 2 Tim. ii. 2. 
15. The waters which thou sawest, 



294 



REVELATION. 



15 And he saith unto me, 
The waters which thou sawest, 
where the whore sitteth, are 
peoples, and multitudes, and 



&c. — It was said in verse 1, that the 
woman sat "upon many waters." 
This is the metaphor now to be ex- 
plained. She sat upon many waters, 
and she also sat upon the beast. The 
beast, as we have shown, denoted the 
secular power of the empire, by which 
the strength and grandeur of the city 
of Rome were sustained. By the 
waters are intended "peoples, and 
multitudes, and nations, and tongues." 
In the language of the prophets 
"waters" denote a great multitude of 
people. See Isaiah viii. 7, 8 : " Now, 
therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth 
up upon them the waters of the river, 
strong and many, even the king of 
Assyria, and all his glory : and he 
shall come up over all his channels, 
and go over his banks. And he shall 
pass through Judah ; he shall over- 
flow and go over, he shall reach even 
to the neck ; and the stretching out 
of his wings shall fill the breadth of 
thy land, Immanuel." These 
waters undoubtedly represented the 
forces of the king of Assyria. Once 
more. Jer. li. 12, 13 : " Set up the 
standard upon the walls of Babylon, 
make the watch strong, set up the 
watchmen, prepare the ambushes : 
for the Lord hath both devised and 
done that which he spake against the 
inhabitants of Babylon. thou that 
dwellest upon many waters, abundant 
treasures, thine end is come, and the 
measure of thy covetousness." Bab- 
ylon, like Rome, is said to dwell upon 
many waters, i. e., to be sustained by 
great multitudes of people. Beyond 
all doubt, the author of" the Apoca- 
lypse was well instructed in the style 
of the sacred prophets. Jesus de- 
scribed the commotions among the 
people at the time of the destruction 
of Jerusalem by " the sea and the 
waves roaring." This, then, is the 
understanding we are to form of this 



nations, and tongues. 

16 And the ten horns which 
thou sawest upon the beast, 
these shall hate the whore, and 



verse. The woman (Rome) was 
said, in the first place, to sit upon the 
scarlet-colored beast, ver. 3, because 
she was sustained by the empire ; and 
she was the directing power, and one 
of the chief glories of that empire. 
But she was said to sit on " many 
waters," ver. 1, because she was sus- 
tained by immense multitudes of 
people. Persons from all parts of the 
then known world flocked to her j 
and hence, as the revelator has said, 
in explaining his own metaphor, 
" The waters are peoples, and multi- 
tudes, and nations, and tongues." 

16. And the ten horns shall hate. — - 
These ten horns are mentioned in 
ver. 3 of this chapter, where it is 
said, the scarlet-colored beast had 
seven heads and ten horns. Beyond 
all doubt this is the same beast men- 
tioned in xiii. 1, and he is there said 
to have had " seven heads and ten 
horns." These ten horns represented 
ten kings ; xvii. 12 ; and hence we 
are told that upon each horn there 
was a crown, the sign of royalty ■ 
xiii. 1. These ten were heathen kings, 
and hence they made war with the 
Lamb. But it could not be supposed 
that Rome could always maintain 
her pow r er over these subordinate 
kingdoms, without difficulty. In 
process of time, therefore, they begun 
to hate her ; they begun to be suspi- 
cious of the influence of the city ; and 
it is a well-known matter of fact, that 
afterwards the capital was removed 
almost to the bounds of Asia. The 
subordinate kings for some time hated 
the city of Rome ; and we must there- 
fore regard this verse as a prediction 
of the calanjities that would soon 
befall Rome. Her glory would depart. 
She would be burned with fire ; she 
would become comparatively a mis- 
erable and desolate place ; xviii. 2 ; 
the imperial countenance and protec- 



CHAPTER XVII. 



295 



shall make her desolate and 
naked, and shall eat her flesh, 
and burn her with fire. 

17 For God hath put in their 



tion would be taken away ; she would 
be left to decline and fall ; and would 
in time sink until she became the 
mere shadow of her former greatness. 
All this did happen shortly after the 
Apocalypse was published. The 
tributary kings, designated by the 
ten horns, became embittered against 
the city ; they came to " hate the 
woman " whom they once loved ; 
and they made her desolate and 
naked, and eat her flesh, and burned 
her with fire. The revelator evi- 
dently gets this figure from Ezekiel's 
description of the wickedness and 
punishments of Jerusalem. The fol- 
lowing long quotation leads us to 
think so : " Wherefore, O harlot, hear 
the word of the Lord : Thus saith the 
Lord God ; Because thy filthiness 
was poured out, and thy nakedness 
discovered through thy whoredoms 
with thy lovers, and with all the idols 
of thy abominations, and by the blood 
of thy children, which thou didst give 
unto them ; behold, therefore, I will 
gather all thy lovers, with whom 
thou hast taken pleasure, and all 
them that thou hast loved, with all 
them that thou hast hated; I will 
even gather them round about against 
thee, and will discover thy nakedness 
unto them, that they may see all thy 
nakedness. And f will judge thee, 
as women that break wedlock and 
shed blood are judged; and I will 
give thee blood in fury and jealousy. 
And I will also give thee into their 
hand, and they shall throw down 
thine eminent place, and shall break 
down thy high places: they shall 
strip thee also of thy clothes, and 
shall take thy fair jewels, and leave 
thee naked "and bare. They shall 
also bring up a company against thee, 
and they shall stone thee with stones, 
and thrust thee through with their 
swords. And they shall burn thy 



hearts to fulfil his will, and to 
agree, and give their kingdom 
unto the beast, until the words 
of God shall be fulfilled. 



houses with fire, and execute judg- 
ments upon thee in the sight of many 
women : and I will cause thee to 
cease from playing the harlot, and 
thou also shalt give no hire any 
more. So will I make my fury 
toward thee to rest, and my jealousy 
shall depart from thee, and I will be 
quiet, and will be no more angry ;" 
Ezk. xvi. 35 — 42. The revelator 
says, they shall "devour her flesh." 
This is also a figure for war and 
destruction. "I will make mine 
arrows drunk with blood, and my 
sword shall devour flesh ; and that 
with the blood of the slain, and of the 
captives, from the beginning of 
revenges upon the enemy ;" Deut. 
xxxii. 42. Rome was also to be 
burned with fire. This may be 
understood either with or without 
metaphor. If the former, the fire 
stands for the fierceness of the divine 
judgments. If the latter, we know 
that Rome suffered severely from 
actual conflagration. See chapter 
xviii. 8, 10. 

17. Put in their hearts. — God had 
a purpose in all this, and an over- 
ruling agency. He put it into the 
hearts of these tributary kings to fulfil 
his will ; and his will was fulfilled, in 
the first place, by their giving their 
kingdom unto the beast for a time. 
Not that such a thing could be his 
ultimate purpose, as though he might 
rest in it as an end; but it was a 
means whereby he accomplished his 
will, in the same manner as the 
enmity of Joseph's brethren accom- 
plished the exaltation of Joseph, and 
the enmity of the rebellious Jews to 
the Lord Jesus caused his religion to 
spread throughout the world. Hence 
it is said, that Jesus was delivered 
into wicked hands "by the deter- 
minate counsel and foreknowledge of 
God." The kings were to give their 



296 



REVELATION. 



18 And the woman which 
thou sawest is that great city, 
which reigneth over the kings 
of the earth. 



power to the beast, " until the words of 
God shall be fulfilled," i. e., the words 
of God in regard to the reign of the 
beast. He was to continue only for 
a time, signified by the "'forty and 
two months." When this time was 
fulfilled, then the kings would with- 
draw their support from the empire, 
and hate the woman or city of Rome, 
and its downfall would come. 

18. The woman is that great city. — 
The woman is the city — the great 
city ; and Rome was then the mistress 
of the world. She reigned over the 
kings of the earth, as has been shown ; 
for they acknowledged for a time her 
supremacy, although afterward they 
hated her. 

The revelator having thus been 
shown that the destruction of Rome 
was at hand, we shall find that in the 
next chapter the fall of that great city 
is more particularly described. 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

Preliminary Remarks. — In the last 
chapter we saw the city of Rome 
described under the metaphor of a 
woman, sitting upon a scarlet-colored 
beast. She appeared in great mag- 
nificence. She was arrayed in purple 
and scarlet, the imperial colors ; and 
was decked with gold, and precious 
stones, and pearls. "The woman 
which thou sawest (said the angel to 
the revelator) is that great city, which 
reigneth over the kings of the earth ;" 
chap, xvii., last verse. The 18th 
chapter forms a part of the vision 
promised to the revelator, xvii. 1 : 
" Come hither ; I will show unto thee 
the judgment of the great whoreP The 
woman is first seen riding on the 
beast ; xvii. 3. The beast is described 
as representing the empire, and the 
woman as representing the city. So 
much of the description occupies the 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

AND after these things I saw 
another angel come down 



17th chapter. In the 18th is con- 
tained an account of the judgment 
of the woman, promised in xvii. I. 

The plan of this chapter seems to 
be as follows : 

1. The time for the judgment of 
Rome is represented as being come ; 
verses 1, 2. 

2. Reasons for it are given ; ver. 3. 

3. The Christians are called upon 
to come out of her, to avoid the 
impending calamities ; verses 4 — 8. 

4. The lamentation over the city in 
the next place occurs, viz., 1st, of 
the friendly kings ; verses 9, 10 ; 2d, 
of the merchants; verses 11 — 16; 
3d, of the seamen ; verses 17 — 19. 

5. Heaven is called on to rejoice, 
with all the holy apostles and prophets, 
for that which the worldly-minded 
mourn to see ; ver. 20. 

6. The judgment comes, as de- 
scribed, verses 21 — 24. 

1. Another angel come down from 
heaven. — One angel having described 
the woman and the beast, another 
angel is introduced, in the arrange- 
ment of the scene, to describe the 
judgment. For aught that appears 
the revelator is still under the guid- 
ance of " one of the seven angels," 
mentioned xvii. 1, who, after showing 
him the woman and the beast, shows 
him, in the next place, another mighty 
angel coming down from heaven, to 
declare and carry forward the judg- 
ments. Such was probably the plan 
of the revelator's imagery. The 
angel came down from heaven ; he 
was a messenger from God, and was 
clothed with power to fulfil the divine 
will. Lightened with his glory. — 
He was all glorious too : the earth 
was lightened with his glory. This 
is a sublime metaphor — the earth 
made radiant with the glory of the 
angel's presence. But it is no flight 
of the revelator's fancy, for he him- 



CHAPTER XVm. 



297 



from heaven, having great 
power ; and the earth was 
lightened with his glory. 

2 And he cried mightily with 
a strong voice, saying, Babylon 

self probably copied the figure from 
Ezekiel. See Ezk. xliii. 2: "And, 
behold, the glory of the God of Israel 
came from the way of the east ; and 
his voice was like a noise of many 
waters ; and the earth shined with 
his glory." 

2. He cried mightily with a loud 
voice. — It is the intent of these words 
to give great effect to the procla- 
mation. It was a proclamation of 
great importance, and it was needful 
that it should arrest the attention of 
men. The angel is clothed with 
power corresponding to his dignity as 
a heavenly messenger. His voice 
commanded great attention. He had 
come from the presence of God, from 
the place whence God himself looked 
down upon the earth. And now let 
us listen to what the angel said. 
^[ Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen ; 
— as if he had said, what was pre- 
dicted in Rev. xiv. 8 is now to be 
fulfilled. This language respects 
Rome, although the name Babylon is 
used. We have shown repeatedly, 
that it was the custom of the sacred 
writers to call one city by the name 
of another, on account of some simi- 
larity either in its character, or its 
fate. Babylon, of old, had been given 
up to destruction ; and Rome being 
given up to destruction, is called 
Babylon. The proverb, " Babylon is 
fallen, is fallen," is of prophetic ori- 
gin, and not original with the reve- 
lator. See Isa. xxi. 9 : " And he 
answered and said, Babylon is fallen, 
is fallen ; and all the graven images 
of her gods he hath broken unto the 
ground." And Jer. li. 8 : "Babylon 
is suddenly fallen and destroyed: 
howl for her j ta.ke balm for her pain, 
if so she may be healed." The reve- 
lator's description in all respects is 
evidently taken from the prophetical 



the great is fallen, is fallen, 
and is become the habitation of 
devils, and the hold of every 
foul spirit, and a cage of every 
unclean and hateful bird. 

account of the fall of Babylon. Its 
inhabitants are supposed to have been 
exterminated, or to have fled, The 
habitation ' of devils. — Demons were 
supposed to dwell in desolate and 
gloomy places. This was the pre- 
vailing notion among the Jews ; and 
the imagery therefore is built upon 
it. The unclean spirit, mentioned 
Matt. xii. 43, wandered through dry 
or desolate places. The demoniac 
described in Mark v. roamed among 
the tombs. The object of the reve- 
lator, therefore, in saying that Rome 
should be the habitation of devils, 
satyrs, or demons, was to show that 
it should become very desolate, com- 
pared with its former grandeur, 
Those animals that flee from the 
haunts of men shall come and dwell 
in the place where the city once stood 
in magnificence. This is exactly the 
idea expressed by Isaiah, in describing 
the fall of Babylon. " And Babylon, 
the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of 
the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as 
when God overthrew Sodom and 
Gomorrah. It shall never be inhab- 
ited, neither shall it be dwelt in from 
generation to generation ; neither 
shall the Arabian pitch tent there j 
neither shall the shepherds make their 
fold there. But wild beasts of the 
desert shall lie there ; and their houses 
shall be full of doleful creatures ; and 
owls shall dwell there, and satyrs 
shall dance there. And the wild 
beasts of the islands shall cry in their 
desolate houses, and dragons in their 
pleasant palaces ; and her time is 
nearly come, and her days shall not 
be prolonged ;" Isa. xiii. 19 — 22. 
How frequently does the revelator 
draw his metaphors, and almost his 
very language, from the prophets. 
The application of prophetical lan- 
guage to the fall of Rome, we shall 



298 



REVELATION. 



3 For all nations have drunk 
of the wine of the wrath of her 
fornication, and the kings of 
the earth have committed forni- 
cation with her, and the mer- 

consider more fully, before we close 
our comments on this chapter. In 
addition to the passages quoted above, 
see Isa. xxxiv. 10 — 15 : Jer. 1. 39 : 
li. 37. 

3. All nations have dricnk of the 
wine. — Here are mentioned the rea- 
sons of her punishment. She had 
led all nations into sin, even the kings 
and great men of the earth. Her 
influence had been very wide and 
very injurious. There is a double 
metaphor in this verse. 1st. The 
nations have been made drunk with 
wine. 2d. With the wine of fornica- 
tion. She exhilarated and maddened 
them with her inflammatory vices. 
She excited their passions, and almost 
led them captive at her will. Hence 
her influence is compared to that of 
wine. Her sins are described under 
the figure of offences against chastity, 
which is a figure frequently occurring 
in the Bible,, and as often in the New 
Testament as in the Old. See the 
notes on ii. 14, 20 ; xvii. 2, 4. The 
Apocalypse bears a strong relation to 
other parts of the divine word. The 
same subject is continued here which 
was commenced in chap. xiv. See 
ver. 8 of that chapter. -Because 
Rome made the nations drink of the 
wine of her wickedness, God would 
pour out upon her the wine of his 
wrath; xiv. 10. This wine of his 
wrath was represented as being in 
the seven vials ; xv. 7. These seven 
vials of wrath were the seven last 
plagues, because in them was to be 
filled up, or finished, the wrath of 
God ; xv. 1 ; and these seven vials 
were all to be poured out upon the 
earth ; xvi. 1. By bearing these facts 
in mind, the reader will perceive that 
all these chapters are connected the 
one with the other; that the thread 
of the subject is not broken. Having 



chants of the earth are waxed 
rich through the abundance of 
her delicacies. 

4 And I heard another voice 
from heaven, saying, Come out 

foretold the judgments under the 
metaphor of the vials, in the 16th 
chapter, the revelator foretells the 
judgment of the city more particu- 
larly in the 17th. Compare xvii. 2, 
4, with xiv. 8. The subject begun in 
the 14th is continued to the 18th, and 
further. ^ And the merchants of the 
earth. — These, it is said, had waxed 
rich, through the abundance of her 
delicacies. It is evidently the destruc- 
tion of a city, or country, upon the 
margin of the sea, that the revelator 
was describing, and not an ecclesias- 
tical body. We see no reason what- 
ever to suppose that he had any 
reference to the papal church. Some 
commentators have presumed, that 
Babylon in this chapter represented 
Rome papal; and the merchants, 
were her clergy, who traded in spir- 
itual trifles and trinkets, and other 
ecclesiastical wares ; but persons who 
have given such an interpretation 
have, in our opinion, taken counsel 
of their prejudices, rather than of 
sound judgment. We shall not stop 
to consider this subject further in this 
place ; but we may refer to it again. 

4. Another voice. — The one voice 
had proclaimed the fall of Babylon ; 
the other called on all who would not 
participate in the judgment of the 
city to come out of her. % Come out 
of her, my people. — Separate your- 
selves from her ; lest ye partake of 
her sins, and receive of her plagues. 
There was danger in living in the 
midst of so much extravagance, dis- 
soluteness, and paganism. Weak 
professors would be made to fall. 
The only safety consisted in an entire 
separation from the power of the 
adversary, and the dangers in which 
he was placed. So God counselled 
Lot to flee from Sodom ; Gen. xix. 
15, 16. When any city of old was 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



299 



of her, my people, that ye be not 
partakers of her sins, and that 

doomed to destruction, the faithful 
that were therein were counselled to 
leave it. The revelator had the 
example of the prophets for the advice 
he gave to the Christians in Rome. 
Among other instances, see Isa. 
xlviii. 20, and lii. 11 ; Jer. 1. 8, and 
li. 6, 45. The apostle Paul besought 
his brethren at Corinth to come out 
from among the heathen: "What 
agreement hath the temple of God 
with idols ? for ye are the temple of 
the living God ; as God hath said, I 
will dwell in them, and walk in them ; 
and I will be their God, and they 
shall be my people. Wherefore come 
out from among them, and be ye 
separate, saith the Lord, and touch 
not the unclean thing; and I will 
receive you 2 Cor. vi. 16, 17. 
Whether the command, " Come out 
of her, my people," (in the chapter 
we are considering,) meant, leave the 
city of Rome, quit the place entirely, 
as Lot left Sodom ; or whether it 
meant merely a moral separation, — 
an injunction to keep clean of all 
sinful connection, to guard against 
paganism and all the vices of that 
great city, we will not undertake to 
decide. ^[ Be not partakers of her sins. 
— The object was to guard the Chris- 
tians against "partaking of her sins," 
that they might not " receive of her 
plagues." If they did not offend in 
the former, they would not suffer in 
the latter. The command to " come 
out," is to be regarded as a kind of 
proverbial expression, and should not 
be interpreted too strictly. It cer- 
tainly did mean as much as this : 
" Separate yourselves from her in a 
moral point of view ; keep yourselves 
perfectly clean from all her vices 
and this was truly the most important 
matter. ^[ That ye receive not of her 
plagues. — Here the subject of the 
plagues comes up once more. There 
is an unbroken thread of illustration 
running through these chapters. The 
plagues were temporal judgments • 



ye receive not of her plagues. 
5 For her sins have reached 



ix. 20. They were death, and mourn- 
ing, and famine, and conflagration ; 
xviii. 8. Surely these judgments 
were on the earth; xi. 6; xvi. 1. 
And they were the last plagues ; 
xv. 1. We are not to look for any 
plagues in the Apocalypse after these. 
In them is filled up, or finished, the 
wrath of God. These plagues are 
mentioned finally near the close of the 
Apocalypse, where the churches were 
told, that if " any man shall add unto 
these things, God shall add unto hirn 
the plagues that are written in this 
book;" xxii. 18. None other plagues 
were threatened, remark, than those 
written in this book, i. e., the Apoca- 
lypse ; and these were death, mourn- 
ing, famine and conflagration. 

5. Her sins have reached unto heaven. 
— Rome was punished only for her 
sins. She was not punished for her 
blindness any further than it was 
guilty blindness. This might have 
been inferred from the preceding 
verse. If the Christians did not par- 
take of her sins, they did not receive 
of her plagues. It was for her sins, 
and for her sins only, that she was 
judged. Her sins were very great. 
It is said they " reached unto heaven." 
Some have supposed the idea to be 
this : the sins have reached up to God, 
so that he observes and takes note of 
them. We prefer the other inter- 
pretation. It is a hyperbole for ex- 
ceeding greatness. A similar figure 
occurs in the description given by 
Nebuchadnezzar of the tree seen by 
him in his vision : " I saw, and 
behold a tree in the midst of the 
earth, and the height thereof was 
great. The tree grew, and was 
strong, and the height, thereof reached 
unto heaven, and the sight thereof to 
the end of all the earth;" Dan. iv. 
10, 11. And when Daniel came to 
interpret the vision, he said: "It is 
thou, O king, thou art grown and 
become strong : for thy greatness is 
grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and 



soo 



REVELATION. 



unto heaven, and God hath re- 
membered her iniquities. 

thy dominion to the end of the earth ;" 
ver. 22. So the "rage that reacheth 
up unto heaven," 2 Chron. xxviii. 9, 
was an exceeding rage. God's faith- 
fulness is very great, — hence it is 
said to "reach unto the clouds Psa. 
xxxvi. 5. Again: "Thy mercy is 
great above the heavens ; and thy 
truth reacheth unto the clouds ;" Psa. 
cviii. 4. But there is no difficulty in 
understanding where the revelator 
found his figure. In taking the 
prophetic descriptions of the wicked- 
ness and fall of Babylon for the pur- 
pose of showing the wickedness and 
fall of Rome, which was the Babylon 
of the revelator's time, [and there 
were many points of resemblance 
between the two cities,] he would, of 
course, adopt the prophetic hyper- 
boles, and other figures. Hence we 
find, that the figure we are consider- 
ing occurs in Jeremiah's description 
of the fall of Babylon : " Babylon is 
suddenly fallen and destroyed. * * 
* * We would have healed Baby- 
lon, but she is not healed : forsake 
her, and let us go every one into 
his own country; for her judgment 
reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up 
even to the skies ;" li. 8, 9. ^ God 
hath remembered her iniquities. — In 
strict speech, God can be said to for- 
get nothing; but in the language of 
the Scriptures, God is said to forget. 
Of course, such language is not to be 
construed literally. It would make 
confusion worse confounded ; for in 
one form of speech God is said to 
punish men by forgetting them ; and 
in another form, he punishes by 
remembering. We must seek the true 
sense of the Scriptures, without any 
disposition to carp or cavil. In the 
Apocalypse, sins are said to come up 
in remembrance before God, when 
the time of their punishment has 
come. " Great Babylon came in 
remembrance before God, to give 
unto her the cup of the wine of the 
fierceness of his wrath;" Rev. xvi. 



6 Reward her even as she 
rewarded you, and double unto 

19. See the language of the woman 
to the prophet Elijah : " What have I 
to do with thee, O thou man of God ? 
art thou come unto me to call my 
sin to remembrance, and to slay my 
son?" 1 Kings xvii. 18. See, also, 
Ezk. xxi. 23, and xxix. 16. So when 
good deeds are rewarded, they are 
said to come up in remembrance 
before God, as in the case of Corne- 
lius : " Behold, a man stood before 
me in bright clothing, and said, Cor- 
nelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine 
alms are had in remembrance in the 
sight of God;" Acts x. 30, 31. For 
God to remember a sin, therefore, in 
the language of the prophets, was to 
regard it as an unforgiven offence ; 
to call it to remembrance, was to call 
it up for judgment and punishment ; 
and to remember it no more, was 
fully to forgive it, and wash it away, 
and to regard the penitent as though 
he had never sinned. Thus the lan- 
guage of God through the prophet 
Jeremiah : " I will put my law in 
their inward parts, and write it in 
their hearts ; and will be their God, 
and they shall be my people. And 
they shall teach no more every man 
his neighbor, and every man his 
brother, saying, Know the Lord : for 
they shall all know me, from the 
least of them unto the greatest of 
them, saith the Lord : for I will for- 
give their iniquity, and I will remem- 
ber their sin no more ;" xxxi. 33, 
34. " Her sins have reached unto 
heaven," i. e., they have been very 
great ; and " God hath remembered 
her iniquities," i. e., hath remem- 
bered them to punish them, as we 
shall see in the next verse. 

6. Reward her even as she rewarded 
you. — In the language of the Scrip- 
tures, to reward signifies to punish 
evil, as well as to recompense righ- 
teousness. Under the Mosiac law, 
"every transgression received a just 
recompense of reward ;" Heb. ii. 2 ; 
Matt. xvi. 27 j 2 Tim. iv. 14 ; 2 Peter 



CHAPTER XYUI. 



301 



her double according to her 
works : in the cup which she 

ii. 13; Rev. xxii. 12. "Reward her 
even as she rewarded you." This 
is not done to encourage retaliation in 
others, nor is it done for the purpose 
of retaliation, but on the principle I 
above suggested, viz., that of render- 
ing to men according to their works. 
God pours out the wickedness of men 
upon them ; he makes them eat of the 
fruit of their own doings. " Thine 
own wickedness shall correct thee, 
and thy backslidings shall reprove 
thee : know therefore and see that it 
is an evil thing and bitter, that thou 
hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and 
that my fear is not in thee, saith the 
Lord God of hosts;" Jer. ii. 19. 
Such is the principle of the divine 
government. God is said to visit the 
iniquities of men upon them, because 
retribution is all under his wise direc- 
tion and care ; and the saints even 
are sometimes said to punish the 
wicked, because they are made the 
agents, or executors, of the divine will. 
If Fill to her double. — When sins are 
fully punished, when the cup of judg- 
ment, or wrath, is filled to the brim, 
and running over, the sinner is said 
to be punished double ; but nothing 
more is meant than that the punish- 
ment was certainly full and adequate. 
Perhaps the expression was adopted 
from that part of the Mosaic code 
which required the thief to "restore 
doable for what he had stolen ;" Exod. 
xxii. 4, 7. The Lord added to Job 
double for all he had lost ; Job xlii. 
10. It was said of Jerusalem, that 
she had " received of the Lord's hand 
doable for all her sins;" Isa. xl. 2. 
The revelator, who abundantly proved 
himself to have been a diligent stu- 
dent of the prophets, perhaps drew 
his style in this instance from Jer. 
xvi. 18 : " And first I will recompense 
their iniquity and their sin double ; 
because they have defiled my land, 
they have filled mine inheritance with 
the carcasses of their detestable and 
abominable things." The cup which 
26 



hath filled, fill to her double. 
7 How much she hath glo- 

Rome had filled refers doubtless to 
the cup mentioned xvii. 4, which was 
"full of abominations," with which 
the inhabitants of the earth were made 
drunk; xvii. 2. The command is, 
fill to her double ; i. e._, pour out her 
wickedness upon her • fill her to satiety 
with her own doings. The portion 
of a man's cup, in the style of the 
Scriptures, is the punishment which 
he deserves, and which God inflicts 
upon him. ' ; Upon the wicked he 
shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, 
and a horrible tempest : this shall be 
the portion of their cup ;" Psa. xi. 6. 
Of the wicked it is said, " Waters of 
a full cup are wrung out to them ;" 
Psa. lxxiii. 10. As Rome was to be 
fully punished, though not unjustly, 
it is said, "fill to her double." She 
had made the nations drink of the cup 
of her abominations, and she was 
made, therefore, to drink of the cup 
of God's indignation. See xiv. 9 — 11. 
This drinking of the cup of God's 
indignation is the same as suffering 
the plagues which fell on Rome, both 
the city and the empire ; for, at the 
pouring out of the seven vials it is 
said : " And the great city was divided 
into three parts, and the cities of the 
nations fell : and great Babylon came 
in remembrance before God, to give 
unto her the cup of the wine of the 
fierceness of his wrath ;" xvi. 19. 
From this it appears certain that the 
punishment described in xiv. 10, 11 
is none other than that of the vials. 
And the vials were surely all to be 
poured out on the earth; xv. 1 ; xvi. 
1—8, 10, 12, 17. 

7. So much torment and sorrow give 
her. — This shows that the filling of 
the cup double, mentioned in the pre- 
ceding verse, was not intended to con- 
flict with the principle of rendering 
to every man according to his works. 
It was evidently a hyperbolical ex- 
pression, the intent of which is ex- 
actly showed in the words of this 
verse : — " How much she hath glori- 



302 



REVELATION. 



rifled herself, and lived deli- 
ciously, so much torment and 
sorrow give her : for she saith 

fied herself and lived deliriously, so 
much torment and sorrow give her ;" 
i. e., reward her according to her 
works. We should not be justified in 
inferring from this verse that God 
was unwilling mankind should live 
happily on the earth. True and solid 
happiness is always to be found in the 
way of well doing. But Rome did 
not seek to live happily, in the true 
sense of that word, but deliriously. 
She gave herself up to pleasure, and 
« she that liveth in pleasure [i. e., who 
lives for that alone] is dead while she 
liveth ;" 1 Tim. v. 6. When men live 
for pleasure merely, they may per- 
haps live deliciously, but they do not 
find 

" What nothing earthly gives, or can destroy, 
The soul's calm sunshine, and the heartfelt 
joy." 

" A good man shall be satisfied from 
himself;" Psa. xiv. 14. He has with- 
in himself sources of real satisfaction ; 
he is of all men most happy. He has 
"rest to his soul." But Rome did not 
seek for true happiness, but false de- 
light. She gave no heed to the call 
of duty, but sought pleasure only; 
" she glorified herself and lived deli- 
ciously ;" and in proportion to her 
wickedness were her torment and 
sorrow measured out to her. Saith 
in her heart, I sit a queen. — When she 
was in the height of her power and 
glory, she comforted herself with the 
reflection, " I sit a queen, and am no 
widow, and shall see no sorrow ;" 
but was she not fatally deceived? 
This is so evidently taken from 
Isaiah's description of the pride of 
Babylon, that we cannot forbear the 
quotation : " Sit thou silent, and get 
thee into darkness, O daughter of the 
Chaldeans : for thou shalt no more be 
called, The lady of kingdoms;" Isa. 
xlvii. 5. " And thou saidst, I shall be 
a lady forever : so that thou didst not 
lay these things to thy heart, neither 
didst remember the latter end of it. 



in her heart, I sit a queen, and 
am no widow, and shall see no 
sorrow. 

Therefore hear now this, thou that 
art given to pleasures, that dwellest 
carelessly, that sayest in thy heart, I 
am, and none else besides me; I shall 
not sit as a widow, neither shall I 
know the loss of children ;" vs. 7, 8. 
" Therefore shall evil come upon 
thee ; thou shalt not know from 
whence it riseth ; and mischief shall 
fall upon thee ; thou shalt not be able 
to put it off ; and desolation shall 
come upon thee suddenly, which thou 
shalt not know;" ver. 11. How was 
Babylon of old lifted up ! How blind 
was she to the inevitable consequen- 
ces of her actions ! What disappoint- 
ments awaited her ! So with Rome, 
the Babylon of the Apocalypse. She 
sat a queen, in her own estimation. 
She feared no widowhood, no loss of 
children. Being represented by a 
woman raised to the highest pinnacle 
of earthly grandeur, her approaching 
state of humiliation is represented by 
the sorrows of the same woman, when 
reduced to widowhood, and bereft of 
her children, on which she hoped to 
lean for support in her declining 
years. This should be a lesson to all, 
not to be presumptive, vain, self- 
confident, but to remember that there 
is no height of human grandeur from 
which men may not be thrown down. 
Babylon of old fell ; Jerusalem fell ; 
Rome fell : That immense empire, 
which embraced almost the whole 
known world, was wasted away. 
God is the ruler among the nations. 
Righteousness alone is true exalta- 
tion ; sin is a reproach, and will bring 
any nation down to the dust. 

8. Plagues. — The plagues are here 
mentioned once more. See the long 
note on xv. 1. They are there called 
" the last plagues," because they were 
the only ones that remained to be 
described in the Apocalypse, and be- 
cause the wrath of God was filled up, 
or finished, by or in them; xv. 1, 6, 8. 
They were all descriptive of temporal 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



303 



8 Therefore shall her plagues 
come in one day, death, and 
mourning-, and famine ; and she 

judgments, for the whole seven of 
the vials were poured out on the 
earth ; xvi. 1, 9 ; xviii. 4. The whole 
series of plagues, commencing with 
xiv. 9 — 11, and extending to the end 
of the Apocalypse, was descriptive of 
temporal judgments. The figure of 
pouring out the wrath of God is kept 
up through the whole, the mixture 
of wrath being in some cases con- 
tained in a cup, in others, in bowls, 
or vials ; but this slight change in the 
imagery makes no change in the 
sense. If Come in one day. — Her 
plagues were her punishments ; and 
are expressly said to be "death, and 
mourning, and faming" and burning 
with fire. These, we are told, shall 
come in one day. We are not to un- 
derstand this strictly, as of a day of 
twenty-four hours. The phrase " one 
day" is used in the Scriptures to 
signify a short time. " Therefore the 
Lord will cut off from Israel head and 
tail, branch and rush, in one day;" 
Isa. ix. 14. ''And the light of Israel 
shall be for a fire, and his Holy One 
for a flame : and it shall burn and 
devour his thorns and his briers in 
one day j" x. 17. " Shall the earth 
be made to bring forth in one day ? 
or shall a nation be born at once ? for 
as soon as Zion travailed, she brought 
forth her children ;" lxvi. 8. Thus 
when it is said her plagues shall come 
in one day, the meaning seems to be, 
that they should not come consecutive- 
ly, but together; that no time of any 
importance should intervene between 
them. f[ Death, and mourning, and 
famine. — These judgments, " death, 
mourning, and famine," are often 
mentioned as national judgments, by 
the sacred writers. They are the 
consequences of war, which devas- 
tates a country more than any other 
cause. The march of a victorious 
army towards Jerusalem is thus de- 
scribed by the prophet Joel : " A fire 
devoureth before them, and behind 



shall be utterly burned with fire : 
for strong is the Lord God who 
judgeth her. 

them a flame burneth : the land is as 
the garden of Eden before them, and 
behind them a desolate wilderness ; 
yea, and nothing shall escape them ;" 
ii. 3. ^[ She shall be utterly burned 
with fire. — Those who have paid a 
careful attention to the style of the 
Apocalypse will see no occasion for 
understanding this strictly. Rome 
suffered greatly from fire, about the 
time the Apocalypse was written, 
when Nero made so conspicuous a 
figure. It is well known, that he 
sought to throw the blame of the 
conflagration on the Christians, as 
though they were a band of incen- 
diaries ; and as a punishment, to 
cover up the atrocity of his charge, 
he ordered that numbers of them 
should be dressed in the skins of 
beasts and worried to death by dogs ; 
and others were smeared with pitch, 
and then attached to crosses, and set 
on fire, to serve as human torches in 
the gardens of the emperor, where 
the usual games of the circus 'were 
performed, Nero himself driving a 
chariot, in the habit of a charioteer. 
In addition to this, Rome suffered 
greatly afterwards by conflagrations. 

Strong is the Lord God, who judgeth 
her. — All the sacred writers speak of 
the power of God as being very great. 
He raiseth up and casteth down. 
The mighty in his hand are as nothing. 
He was abundantly able to execute 
all the threatened judgments upon 
Rome, notwithstanding she was re- 
garded, as the mistress of the world. 

9. Committed fornication and lived 
deliciously. — See the comments al- 
ready offered on verses 3 and 7 of this 
chapter. These kings, who had been 
infatuated and inflamed by the splen- 
dor and the vices of Rome, would of 
course bewail her misfortunes. They 
beheld her decline and overthrow. 
They saw her influence depart ; so 
that, in comparison with what she had 
been, she would be almost as nothing. 



304 



REVELATION. 



9 And the kings of the earth, 
who have committed fornication 
and lived deliciously with her, 
shall bewail her, and lament for 
her, when they shall see the 
smoke of her burning, 

10 Standing afar off for the 
fear of her torment, saying, 

This took place not long after the 
Apocalypse was written, or at any 
rate it commenced to take place. 
The wickedness of Eome increased ; 
her glory declined. So much for 
the city itself. If Rome be put for 
heathenism, as some writers under- 
stand it, it is a well known fact that 
it greatly declined. In less than three 
hundred years, its power was almost 
utterly prostrated throughout the em- 
pire, and Christianity established in 
its place. The seat of the empire 
was removed from Rome to Byzan- 
tium, the name being changed in 
honor of Constantine — Constantino- 
ple signifying the city of Constantine. 
Taking all the facts into considera- 
tion, we incline to the opinion, that 
the fall of Rome was represented to 
be thorough and complete, in the 
hyperbolical language of the Apoca- 
lypse. It is certain she was greatly 
burned with fire, although not utterly 
destroyed ; her influence died away • 
her glory departed ; the throne was 
removed ; she fell, and has not since 
risen to that height of power again. 
Heathenism died utterly out ; and the 
city became the place of the Pon- 
tiff, the leader of a large branch of 
the Christian Church. Rome now 
has nothing of her ancient outward 
glory; but she is as much distin- 
guished in our day for her devotion 
to the Christian religion, as she was 
in the days of the revelator for her 
devotion to heathenism. 

10. Alas, alas! that great city. — 
This adds nothing to the description 
in the preceding verse, and is to be 
regarded only as filling up the image- 
ry. These kings had a due regard 



Alas, alas ! that great city Baby- 
lon, that mighty city ! for in one 
hour is thy judgment come. 

11 And the merchants of the 
earth shall weep and mourn 
over her ; for no man buyeth 
their merchandise any more : 

12 The merchandise of gold, 



to their own safety. They stood afar 
off for fear of the torment ; and la- 
mented the fall of the city. ^[ 7s 
thy judgment come. — "We have al- 
ready mentioned so frequently the 
judgments denounced in the Apoca- 
lypse, that it seems scarcely necessary 
to offer anything further here. The 
judgment was a present temporal 
judgment. It had come. See verse 8 
of this chapter ; also the notes on xiv. 
7 ; xv. 4 ; xvi. 5 — 7 ; xvii. 1 : xix. 2 ; 
and xx. 12, 13. If the student of the 
Scriptures will observe carefully those 
notes, he cannot fail to gain a correct 
idea of the scriptural doctrine of judg- 
ment. 

11. Merchants of the earth. — After 
the kings, came the merchants to 
bewail the decline of their trade. 
They are described as weeping and 
mourning at the loss of their profits. 
f[ No man buyeth their merchandise any 
more. — The trade of Rome was great- 
ly broken up in the course of the 
troubles that came upon her. It is 
evident that the revelator draws this 
part of his vivid description of the 
destruction of Rome from Ezekiel's 
description of the downfall of Tyre. 
Let the reader turn to the 26th and 27th 
chapters of that prophet, and read 
them carefully. He will see that they 
are the model which the revelator 
copies. The hyperboles are to be un- 
derstood with much latitude of inter- 
pretation. 

12, 13. Gold, and silver, and precious 
stones, &c. — We must refer here again 
to Ezekiel's description of the mer- 
chandise of Tyre. As if the revela- 
tor had said, this destruction of Rome 
shall much resemble the destruction 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



305 



and silver, and precious stones, 
and of pearls, and fine linen, 
and purple, and silk, and scarlet, 
and all thyine wood, and all 
manner vessels of ivory, and all 
manner vessels of most precious 
wood, and of brass, and iron, and 
marble, 

13 And cinnamon, and odors, 
and ointments, and frankincense, 
and wine, and oil, and fine flour, 

of ancient Tyre, when her great and 
extensive trade, the foundation of her 
riches, power and pride, was totally 
stopped — when she lost all her rich 
merchandise, which consisted in all 
sorts of valuable commodities, such 
as gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, 
fine linen, scarlet and thyine wood, all 
curious manufactures in ivory, pre- 
cious wood, brass, iron and marble : 
she shall trade no more in those things 
upon which pride and luxury have 
set such a value, as spices and per- 
fumes, wine and oil, the finest flour 
and corn ; nor shall she trade in beasts 
and sheep, in horses and chariots, in 
grooms who go with the horses to 
take charge of them, and in the souls 
of men, or human beings. Merchan- 
dise were all these articles ; the mer- 
chants of Tyre, and after them the 
merchants of Rome, traded in them 
all. One of the most palpable per- 
versions of the book of Revelation 
consists in giving to these passages 
a spiritual sense, and in supposing 
them to apply to the Roman Catholic 
Church. That church, we have no 
doubt, has many errors, and has been 
guilty of great extortion, cruelty, bar- 
gaining and manoeuvring in spiritual 
things ; but in our judgment the de- 
scription of the revelator, which we 
are considering, has no reference to 
the Church of Rome. It respects 
Rome pagan and not Rome papal. 
Some writers have supposed the vari- 
ous kinds of wares mentioned to be 
pardons, indulgences, dispensations, 
and the like trifles — matters which 
26* 



and wheat, and beasts, and 
sheep, and horses, and chariots, 
and slaves, and souls of men. 

14 And the fruits that thy 
soul lusted after are departed 
from thee, and all things which 
were dainty and goodly are de- 
parted from thee, and thou shalt 
find them no more at all. 

15 The merchants of these 
things which were made rich 

we suppose did not enter into the 
mind of the revelator at all, when he 
wrote the Apocalypse. Such inter- 
pretations belittle the book ; and ren- 
der certain of the Protestant commen- 
tators upon the Apocalypse a by- 
word among judicious Catholics. It 
was the fall of the city of Rome, as 
the head quarters of the heathen em- 
pire, that the revelator was describ- 
ing; and he saw fit to employ the 
language of the prophet. It may not 
be precisely appropriate in every par- 
ticular; but as a whole it answered 
the revelator's purpose. 

14. Fruits that thy soul lusted after. 
— This is a part of the general de- 
scription ; and shows the miseries that 
were to be brought upon the city by 
the suspension of the trade of the 
merchants. Their business was not 
only lucrative to themselves, but was 
advantageous to others, and brought 
the means of luxury and enjoyment 
to Rome. Of these things the city 
of course would be deprived ; and 
hence it is said, " Thou shalt find 
them no more at all." 

15. Shall stand afar off, weeping and 
wailing. — These merchants had been 
previously represented as weeping 
and mourning for themselves, because 
no man bought their merchandise 
any more; see verse 11. But now 
they mourn for the city itself. They 
had been made rich by her, and they 
felt a sense of gratitude. Fearful of 
being involved in her torment, they 
are represented as standing afar off, 
weeping and wailing. 



306 



REVELATION. 



by her, shall stand afar off, for 
the fear of her torment, weeping 
and wailing, 

16 And saying, Alas, alas ! 
that great city, that was clothed 
in fine linen, and purple, and 
scarlet, and decked with gold, 
and precious stones, and pearls ! 

17 For in one hour so great 

16. Alas, alas ! that great city. — It 
was the imperial city. It was decked 
in great magnificence. The imperial 
colors, purple and scarlet, added to 
her beauty, arid she was ornamented 
with gold and precious stones and 
pearls, precisely like the woman who 
sat on the beast, xvii. 4. But in one 
hour so great riches came to nought. 
That a raiment of purple and fine 
linen was a sign of great wealth, is 
evident from Luke xvi. 19. Speak- 
ing of the purple, scarlet, &c, Pro- 
fessor Stuart very justly remarks, 
" Correspondencies to each of these 
articles, in the spiritual meaning of 
the whole passage, will hardly be 
sought for by any one, excepting b3 r 
him who is ignorant of the true nature 
and design of tropical and symbolical 
language." 

17. For in one, hour. — The first 
section of the 17th verse evidently 
belongs to the preceding subject. 
T[ And every ship-master, &c. — We 
have now come to the lamentation 
of the seamen, the captains of ships, 
the sailors, and all who trade by sea. 
These terms embrace all who do 
business on the mighty waters, whe- 
ther in ships of war, merchant ves- 
sels, or the smaller craft used for pur- 
poses of fishing. Eome lay on the 
river Tiber, not far from the Mediter- 
ranean. Her commerce was consider- 
able ; but this description is taken 
from Ezekiel's account of the fall of 
Tyre. See xxvii. 27—29. It will 
not apply exactly to Rome. It is 
poetical and hyperbolical ; and is in- 
tended to apply only in the outline. 
Tyre was one of the most celebrated 



riches is come to naught. And 
every ship-master, and all the 
company in ships, and sailors, 
and as many as trade by sea, 
stood afar ofT, 

18 And cried when they saw 
the smoke of her burning, say- 
ing, What city is like unto this 
great city ! 

cities of antiquity, the richest and 
most important commercial mart of 
Phoenicia. It was renowned for its 
commerce ; and was the place through 
which almost all the commodities of 
the west and the east passed to a 
market. It was at the eastern limit 
of the Mediterranean. Rome was 
not so much of a maritime city as 
Tyre, but still it had much trade by 
sea, sufficient, considering the license 
taken by ancient writers, to justify 
the application of the language of 
Ezekiel respecting T) r re. The men 
of the sea are represented as lament- 
ing the fall of Rome. 

18. Smoke of her burning. — The 
smoke of a conflagration continues to 
ascend after the flames are extin- 
guished. It is a proof, to distant 
beholders, of the ruin or judgment. 
Hence, when the divine judgments are 
spoken of under the metaphor of fire, 
the smoke is said to be a warning to 
after generations. It is spoken of as 
a monument of the justice of God. 
See Gen. xix. 28 ; Josh. viii. 20 ; Isa. 
xxxiv. 10. In the last passage named, 
the smoke of Idumea is said to go up 
forever. The meaning is, that the 
judgment would be a perpetual warn- 
ing to the nations. From this came 
the figure in the Apocalypse. The 
Roman persecutors were said to be 
tormented in fire and brimstone, and 
the smoke thereof was said to ascend 
up forever and ever ; that is. it was 
intended as a perpetual evidence, ris- 
ing up to the observation of men, of 
the retributive justice of God. See, 
also, xviii. 9, and xix. 3. Among 
the plagues that fell upon Rome, it 



CHAPTER XVHI. 



307 



19 And they cast dust on 
their heads, and cried, weeping 
and wailing, saying, Alas, alas ! 
that great city, wherein were 
made rich all that had ships in 

was said, " she shall be utterly burned 
with fire ;" xv r iii. 8. There is a min- 
gling here of fact and metaphor. Fire 
did the work in part ; but she also 
had war, and pestilence, and famine. 

19. Cast dust on their heads. — It 
was an ancient custom for persons to 
cast dust on their heads in seasons 
of great anguish and sorrow. We 
know not how the custom originated ; 
but it is sufficient to the explanation 
of the passage, to show that it was an 
ancient custom. "And Joshua rent 
his clothes, and fell to the earth upon 
his face before the ark of the Lord 
until the even-tide, he and the elders 
of Israel, and put dust upon their 
heads. And Joshua said, Alas ! O 
Lord God, wherefore hast thou at all 
brought this people over Jordan, to 
deliver us into the hand of the Amo- 
rites, to destroy us ? would to God we 
had been content, and dwelt on the 
other side Jordan-," Joshua vii. 6, 
7. This proves conclusively that in 
ancient times persons put dust on 
their heads in times of great sorrow. 
Again, "And when they lifted up 
their eyes afar off, and knew him not, 
they lifted up their voice, and wept ; 
and they rent every one his mantle, 
and sprinkled dust upon their heads 
toward heaven;" Job ii. 12. But it 
should be remarked, that this refer- 
ence to the custom of casting dust on 
the head is taken, like the most of 
the imagery of this chapter, from 
Ezekiel's account of the destruction 
of Tyre. It is the seamen who cast 
dust on their heads in Ezekiel's de- 
scription, and it is the seamen who 
do the same thing in the revelator's 
account. "And all that handle the 
oar, the mariners, and all the pilots 
of the sea, shall come down from their 
ships, they shall stand upon the land ; 
and shall cause their voice to be heard 



the sea by reason of her costli- 
ness ! for in one hour is she 
made desolate. 

20 Rejoice over her, thou 
heaven, and ye holy apostles 

against thee, and shall cry bitterly, 
and shall cast up dust upon their 
heads ; they shall wallow themselves 
in the ashes ; and they shall make 
themselves utterly bald for thee, and 
gird them with sackcloth, and they 
shall weep for thee with bitterness of 
heart andbitter wailing ;" Ezek. xxvii. 
29 — 31. The seafaring men are said 
to weep and wail for the destruction 
of the city, because her immense trade 
contributed so much to their advan- 
tage. They were made rich by her; 
and they were deeply grieved to have 
the sources of their wealth cut off. 

For in one hour. — That is, in a 
short time. Paul said to the Gala- 
tians that he did not give place to the 
false teachers, not even for an hour ; 
(Gal. ii. 5 ;) that is, not even for the 
shortest space of time. Such lan- 
guage occurs repeatedly in the Apoc- 
alypse. The four angels of the Eu- 
phrates (or the military commanders 
there) were prepared for " an hour, and 
a day, and a month, and a year ;" i. e., 
for any length of service, whether 
short or long; Rev. ix. 15. The Roman 
kings, or subordinate monarchs, were 
said to "receive power as kings one 
hour with the beast ;" xvii. 12 ; mean- 
ing for a short time. To express 
their surprise that a judgment so 
great should be inflicted in a time 
comparatively so brief, the people 
said : " Her plagues come in one 
day ;" xviii. 8 ; "In one hour, is thy 
judgment come ;" 10 ; " In one hour 
so great riches is come to nought ;" 
17 ; " In one hour is she made deso- 
late ;" 19. 

20. Rejoice over her, thou heaven. — 
Heaven is here personified, and sig- 
nifies the same as the church. The 
opposite party to heathen Rome is 
meant. It is the heavenly Jerusalem 
that is intended — the spirits of just 



308 



REVELATION. 



and prophets ; for God hath 
avenged you on her. 

men made perfect ; Heb. xii. 22, 23. 
Heaven is joined with the holy apos- 
tles and prophets, who stood at the 
head of the church ; and would seem 
by this to intend the body of the 
church to which they were joined. 
The word heaven is used in a variety 
of senses in the Bible. It sometimes 
means the region of air, as when we 
say, the fowls of heaven, the clouds 
of heaven, the dews of heaven, &c. 
&c. It sometimes stands for God 
himself, as "I have sinned against 
Heaven Luke xv. 18. It would seem 
sometimes to stand for the highest 
order of created beings, as " The heav- 
ens are not clean in his sight ;" Job 
xv. 15. It is a word of wide signifi- 
cation. The Christians were called 
upon to rejoice at the fall of Rome. 
This is put in opposition to the par- 
ties mentioned in the preceding parts 
of the chapter, who lamented for that 
cause. That which produced lamen- 
tation on the one side, also produced 
exultation on the other. The Chris- 
tians were not called upon to rejoice 
at the misery of their fellow-creatures ; 
this would have been contrary to the 
spirit of the Lord Jesus. They would 
rejoice that the power of the oppressor 
was broken ; that he could do no more 
harm ; that he could put no more 
obstacles in the way of the advance- 
ment of the kingdom of Christ ; that 
he could oppress the saints no more. 
This is the only view we can take of 
it ; for to suppose that the Christians 
were called on to rejoice in the miser- 
ies of their fellow-men, even of their 
greatest enemies, would set the sense 
of the passage against the whole ten- 
or of the New Testament. Jesus 
mourned and wept over Jerusalem. 
Behold his beautiful apostrophe to 
that city : " And when he was come 
near, he beheld the city, and wept 
over it, saying, If thou hadst known, 
even thou, at least in this thy day, the 
things which belong unto thy peace ! 
but now they are hid from thine eyes. 



21 And a mighty angel took 
up a stone like a great mill- 

For the days shall come upon thee, 
that thine enemies shall cast a trench 
about thee, and compass thee round, 
and keep thee in on every side, and 
shall lay thee even with the ground, 
and thy children within thee : and 
they shall not leave in thee one stone 
upon another, because thou knowest 
not the time of thy visitation ;" Luke 
xix. 41 — 44. All the afflictions that 
God sends upon men will be over- 
ruled for wise and holy purposes. 
When a man is condemned for crime 
on earth, we hope his good will be 
promoted thereby ; and nothing is 
permitted in the way of punishment 
that would counteract his reforma- 
tion. All those influences are thrown 
around him, by the wise and the 
good, which will result, it is hoped, in 
his reformation. His punishment is 
acquiesced in, only as we acquiesce 
in the amputation of a limb, or the 
extraction of a tooth, because it will 
tend ultimately, if our intentions are 
fulfilled, in the benefit of the patient. 
God is a being of unerring wisdom. 
He can commit no error in the choice 
of means ; and he has full power to 
carry out his will. His means, unlike 
those of man, will not, cannot, fail. 
They may appear to us to fail ; but 
there can be no actual failure with 
God. On these principles, and on no 
other, can a truly benevolent man, 
who has the spirit of the Lord Jesus, 
rejoice in the punishment of men ; 
and in the pouring out of God's wrath 
and vengeance upon them. On these 
principles heaven was called on to 
rejoice, to exult at the fall of Rome. 
The church was afterwards to have 
peace ; and, the power of the oppres- 
sor being broken, the truth would 
have free course and be glorified. 
The persecutors would have no rest 
day nor night ; but the Christians 
would rest from their labors and toils, 
and their works of success would ac- 
company them everywhere. 

21. Mighty angel took up a stone 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



309 



stone, and cast it into the sea, 
saying, Thus with violence shall 
the great city Babylon be thrown 
down, and shall be found no 
more at all. 

22 And the voice of harpers, 
and musicians, and of pipers, 

To add force to the prediction of the 
fall of Rome, an angel is represented 
as taking up a stone, like a great 
millstone, and casting it into the sea, 
saying, " After this manner shall that 
great city Babylon (spiritually bear- 
ing that name) be thrown down." 
This custom of describing the coming 
destruction of a place, or a people, by 
some such formality, is a very ancient 
one. Thus, when Jeremiah was about 
to describe the desolation of the Jews, 
he was commanded to " go and get a 
potter's earthen bottle, and take of the 
ancients of the people, and of the 
ancients of the priests, and go forth 
unto the valley of the son of Hinnom, 
which is by the entry of the east gate, 
and proclaim there the words that I 
shall tell thee ;" Jer. xix. 1, 2. And 
afterwards it is said, "Then shalt 
thou break the bottle in the sight of 
the men that go with thee, and shalt 
say unto them, Thus saith the Lord 
of hosts; Even so will I break this 
people and this city, as one breaketh 
a potter's vessel, that cannot be made 
whole again: and they shall bury 
them in Tophet, till there be no place 
to bury;" 10, 11. Here we must re- 
peat again, what we have so fre- 
quently been called on to say, that the 
revelator draws his figure from Jere- 
miah's description of the fall of Baby- 
lon. He had been a diligent student 
of the prophetic writings. See Jer. 
li. 63, 64 : " And it shall be, when 
thou hast made an end of reading 
this book, that thou shalt bind a stone 
to it, and cast it into the midst of 
Euphrates : and thou shalt say, Thus 
shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise 
from the evil that I will bring upon 
her." 



and trumpeters, shall be heard 
no more at all in thee ; and no 
craftsman, of whatsoever craft 
he be, shall be found any more 
in thee ; and the sound of a mill- 
stone shall be heard no more at 
all in thee. 



22. Voice of harpers and musicians. 
— This is but a part of the image- 
ry. The sounds of joy shall all die 
away; no harp, no pipe, or trum- 
pet shall be heard. Rome shall be 
filled with mourning. " The daugh- 
ters of music shall be brought low." 
It was the revelator's intent to de- 
scribe a time of great sorrow. So 
saith Jeremiah in his Lamentations : 
" The elders have ceased from the 
gate, the young men from their music. 
The joy of our heart is ceased ; our 
dance is turned into mourning. The 
crown is fallen from our head : woe 
unto us, that we have sinned ! For 
this our heart is faint ; for these things 
our eyes are dim ;" Lam. v. 14 — 17. 
So when king Darius was in trouble, 
we are told, that "The king went to 
his palace, and passed the night fast- 
ing : neither were instruments of 
music brought before him : and his 
sleep went from him;" Dan. vi. 18. 
To describe, therefore, the desolate- 
ness, dulness and misery of Rome, it 
is said, "And the voice of harpers, 
and musicians, and of pipers, and 
trumpeters, shall be heard no more 
at all in thee." ^[ And no craftsman 

shall be found any more in thee. — 

In addition to the musicians, her 
mechanics shall desert her ; the crafts- 
men of every kind shall be found no 
more within her borders. Great al- 
lowance must be made here for sake 
of the imagery. The mere scenic 
representations must not be misun- 
derstood for facts. It is still the 
figures of the prophet Jeremiah that 
the revelator is copying. See Jer. 
xxv. 10. " Moreover. I will take from 
them the voice of mirth, and the voice 
of gladness, the voice of the bride- 



310 



REVELATION. 



23 And the light of a candle 
shall shine no more at all in 
thee ; and the voice of the bride- 
groom and of the bride shall be 
heard no more at all in thee : 
for thy merchants were the great 

groom, and the voice of the bride, the 
sound of the millstones, and the light 
of the candle." 

23. Light of a candle shall shine 
no more. — This is but an extended 
representation of the cheerlessness 
and gloom that were to spread over 
the city. There shall be no illumina- 
tions, no places for business shall be 
lighted up. The object is to describe 
desolateness. Voice of the bride- 
groom. — And this is further carried 
out by saying, "The voice of the 
bridegroom and of the bride shall be 
heard no more." In the same man- 
ner Jeremiah described the desolate- 
ness of Judah and Jerusalem. " Then 
will I cause to cease from the cities 
of Judah, and from the streets of Je- 
rusalem, the voice of mirth, and the 
voice of gladness, the voice of the 
bridegroom, and the voice of the 
bride : for the land shall be desolate ;" 
Jer. vii. 34. — See, also, xvi. 9, and 
xxv. 10. And let it be noticed, that 
the return of prosperity to a people or 
a place is represented as the return 
of the voice of the bridegroom and the 
bride, and the renewal of the voice of 
praise. " Again there shall be heard in 
this place, which ye say shall be deso- 
late without man and without beast, 
even in the cities of Judah, and in the 
streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, 
without man, and without inhabitant, 
and without beast, the voice of joy, 
and the voice of gladness, the voice 
of the bridegroom, and the voice of 
the bride, the voice of them that say 
Praise the Lord of hosts ; for the Lord 
is good; for his mercy endureth for- 
ever ; and of them that shall bring the 
sacrifice of praise into the house of 
the Lord. For I will cause to return 
the captivity of the land, as at the 
first, saith the Lord ;" Jer. xxxiii. 10, 



men of the earth ; for by thy sor- 
ceries were all nations deceived. 

24 And in her was found the 
blood of prophets, and of saints, 
and of all that were slain upon 
the earth. 

11. T[ Merchants were the great men. 
— The merchants of Rome, like those 
of Tyre, lived like princes ; Isaiah 
xxiii. 8. T[ By thy sorceries. — Rome 
is said to have deceived all nations by 
her sorceries. There is no doubt that 
her influence for evil was widely felt ; 
and sorceries are put for the enchant- 
ing and bewitching nature of all her 
crime. The wickedness of Nineveh is 
described in a similar manner by the 
prophet Nahum ; hi. 4. Very early did 
the eastern nations begin to practise 
divination and magic, which are inclu- 
ded under the general name of sorce- 
ries. They taught the art of inter- 
preting dreams, and of acquiring the 
knowledge of futurity. Sorcery was 
known in Egypt before the time of Mo- 
ses, and he forbid the Jews from con- 
sulting those who practised it ; Deut. 
xviii. 9, 10. Everywhere in the Scrip- 
tures such are condemned. Pharaoh 
and Nebuchadnezzar both had their 
sorcerers ; Exod. vii. 11, and Dan. ii. 
2. It is possible that the passage 
before us is to be understood in two 
senses, viz., for sorcery itself, by 
which Rome may have deceived the 
nations, and also for the bewitching 
and deceiving effect of her example. 
In either sense, by her sorceries, 
"were all nations deceived." The 
revelator condemns sorcerers, and 
places them in the catalogue of those 
on whom the judgments were to fall; 
xxi. 8; xxii. 15. 

24. In her was found the Hood. — As 
when a city is captured, the evidences 
of her former oppressions are expected 
to be found — stolen treasures buried 
in her vaults — prisoners of war shut 
up in her dungeons; so here it is 
said, " In her was found the blood of 
prophets," &c. These were the evi- 
dences of her guilt. And might not 



CHAPTER XIX. 



311 



CHAPTER XIX. 

AND after these things I 
heard a great voice of much 



this be truly said of Rome, the place 
where the Christians had been hor- 
ribly butchered, and put to death in 
various agonizing forms ? 

CHAPTER XIX. 

Preliminary Remarks. — "We are 
now drawing closely to the winding 
up of the scene. "We have seen that 
Rome is fallen, (ch. xviii.,) aad we 
are next to behold the fall of the 
beast and false prophet, (mentioned 
in chap, xiii., and several subsequent 
chapters,) and also the overthrow of 
the dragon, (mentioned in ch. xii.) 
This overthrow of the dragon, how- 
ever, we shall not find described 
until we "come to the twentieth chapter. 

1. And after these things, — i. e., 
after the fall of Rome, — I heard a 
great voice of much people in heaven, — 
the imaginary dwelling-place of God, 
mentioned in ch. iv., — saying, Alle- 
luia, <tec. — Heaven sometimes stands 
for the church of Christ, as in Heb. 
xii. 22, 23. This is a song of tri- 
umph for the anticipated overthrow 
of the heathen opposition to Christi- 
anity, which had been shown to John, 
and which he described by the meta- 
phors to which we have given atten- 
tion in former chapters. This is in 
keeping with the general character 
of the book. When the Lamb pre- 
vailed to open the seals, there was 
then a shout of triumph in heaven ; 
v. 8 — 14. So when the gospel was 
established and Judaism fell, ascrip- 
tions of thanksgiving were sent up to 
God ; xi. 15 — 17. When the destruc- 
tion of the beast and his adherents 
was first intimated, there was a 
devout recognition of the hand of 
God as being in these judgments by 
the Gentile church; xv. 2 — 4. And 
when Rome fell, it will be remem- 
bered, the word went forth : " Rejoice 



people in heaven, saying, Alle- 
luia : Salvation, and glory, and 
honor, and power, unto the Lord 
our God : 



over her, thou heaven, and ye holy 
apostles and prophets; for God hath 
avenged you on her ;" xviii. 20. The 
rejoicing which was thus commanded 
is described at the commencement 
of the 19th chapter. What a striking 
contrast between the followers of 
Rome and the adherents of the church 
of Christ. Among the former " the 
voice of harpers, and musicians, and 
of pipers and trumpeters, shall be 
heard no more at all ;" the light of a 
candle shall shine no more ; the voice 
of the bridegroom and the bride shall 
be heard no more. Among the latter 
there is a great voice of praise, — 
" Alleluia ; Salvation, and glory, and 
honor, and power, unto the Lord our 
God: Alleluia, for the Lord God 
omnipotent reigneth." 

What means "Alleluia?" This 
word occurs nowhere in the New 
Testament except in this chapter. It 
signifies " Praise ye Jah," one of the 
names of Jehovah. See Psa. lxviii. 
4 : " Sing unto God, sing praises to 
his name : extol him that rideth upon 
the heavens by his name JAH. and 
rejoice before him." Hallelujah, then, 
signifies, Praise Jehovah, or give 
"glory to God." There was some- 
thing much like this, we are told, in 
the heathen worship ; and hence the 
Greeks had their Elelea ia, that sol- 
emn acclamation with which they 
both begun and ended their peans, or 
hymns, in honor of Apollo. We are 
told, also, that certain of the tribes of 
Indians in North America have the 
same word in their religious worship, 
and use it in the same sense. "In 
their places of worship, or beloved 
square, they dance sometimes for a 
whole night, always in a bowing pos- 
ture, and frequently singing, Halle- 
luyah, Ye-ho vah, praise ye Yah, Ye- 
ho vah." — (See Adair's History of 
the American Indians, as quoted by 



312 



REVELATION. 



2 For true and righteous are 
his judgments : for he hath 
judged the gTeat whore, which 
did corrupt the earth with her 



A. Clarke.) The sense of this strain 
of praise seems then to be this : 
u Praise be to God, and ascriptions 
of salvation, glory, honor, power unto 
him." The reason for this is stated 
in the next verse. 

2. True and righteous. — The ac- 
knowledgment of the justice and recti- 
tude of God's judgments we have 
met with before in the Apocalypse. 
See xv. 3, 4, and xvi. 5, 6, 7. God 
is righteous in all his ways. In his 
judgments, as in all things else, he 
always has a good end in view. He 
cannot do wrong. He never pun- 
ishes men merely for the sake of pun- 
ishing them. In judgments of the 
greatest severity, this rule holds good. 
If it were not so, he would not be a 
God of rectitude. No description of 
his judgments, therefore, should lead 
us to attribute anything unrighteous 
to him. "Heretaineth not his anger 
forever, because he delighteth in 
mercy-" Micah vii. 18. In the New 
Testament, he bears the character of 
a Father. He is merciful and gra- 
cious, full of compassion, slow to 
anger, and of great mercy ; long suf- 
fering, very pitiful ; in fine, he is 
good to all and his tender mercy is 
over all his works. See the long note 
on this subject, under xvi. 7. Are 
his judgments. — The judgments now 
referred to are evidently the judg- 
ments of Rome, called the great har- 
lot. The angel said to John, (xvii. 
1 :) " Come hither, and I will show 
you the judgment of the great har- 
lot." In the 17th chapter, the harlot 
and the beast on which she sat are 
described. The judgment is described 
in chapter xviii.; and in xix. 1, 2, 
we find the church rejoicing at her 
fall. She had corrupted the earth 
with her fornication, and now the 
time of her fall had come ; and God 
avenged the blood of his servants 



fornication, and hath avenged 
the blood of his servants at her 
hand. 

3 And again they said, Alle- 



shed by her hand. He judged the 
great harlot which had corrupted the 
earth with her example ; and as she 
had shed the blood of God's servants 
profusely, he had avenged it at her 
hand. God judged both Jews and 
Romans for shedding the blood of his 
servants. For the Jews, see the 
notes on vi. 10, 11, and especially xi. 
18. For the Romans, see under xiv. 
7, where the time of the judgment is 
largely discussed ; also, xvi. 5 — 7 : 
xvii. 1 ; xviii. 8— 10., and xx. 12. 13. 
A careful examination of our remarks 
on these several passages will bring 
the reader to a competent knowledge 
of the scriptural doctrine of judg- 
ment. 

3. And her smoke rose vp forever and 
ever. — They repeated the strain of 
praise ; they said again, " Praise to 
Jehovah ;" and then it is remarked, 
that " her smoke," viz., the smoke of 
burning Rome, "rose up forever and 
ever." If we needed any strong 
illustration to prove that the words 
" forever and ever" are applied to the 
duration of temporal judgments, we 
certainly have it in the case before 
us. We see not how any man can 
conclude that the phrase in this 
instance intends endless duration. 
Prof. Stuart supposes that the figure 
is borrowed from the account of the 
destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. 
It may be so. We read that Abra- 
ham " Looked toward Sodom and 
Gomorrah, and toward all the land of 
the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the 
smoke of the country went up as the 
smoke of a furnace ;" Gen. xix. 28. 
This fact became a matter of frequent 
reference with the sacred writers ; 
and hence we find Jude saying, — 
" Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and 
the cities about them in like manner, 
giving themselves over to fornication, 
and going after strange flesh, are set 



CHAPTER XIX. 



313 



luia. And her smoke rose up 
forever and ever. 

forth for an example, suffering the 
vengeance of eternal fire;" ver. 7. 
For the remarks of the learned Dr. 
Whitby on this last-quoted passage, 
see under xiv. 11, and to the long 
note on that verse we specially refer 
the reader. This was the fire with 
which the cities were destroyed, and 
cannot have been eternal in any 
sense different from that in which 
temporal things are said to be so. 
The smoke of those cities having 
been a conspicuous matter of obser- 
vation for years perhaps, and it being 
known they were destroyed as a pun- 
ishment for their sins, the punishment 
of other rebellious cities was described 
under the figure of burning and of 
long-continued smoke. "Her smoke 
rose up forever and ever," i. e., from 
age to age. See the comments we 
have already offered on xviii. 18. If 
there be any who suppose that the 
term "forever and ever" implies in 
every case an absolute eternity, we 
can only say, that such persons must 
be ignorant of the scriptural use of it. 
Nothing will so soon convince a man 
that such a position is untenable, as a 
careful study of all the places in the 
Scriptures in which the phrase occurs. 
"We will adduce a few passages. 
" Now go, write it before them in a 
table, and note it in a book ; that it 
may be for the time to come, forever 
and ever ;" Isa. xxx. 8. The destruc- 
tion of Idumea is thus described : " It 
is the day of the Lord's vengeance, 
and the year of recompense for the 
controversy of Zion. And the streams 
thereof shall be turned into pitch, and 
the dust thereof into brimstone, and 
the land thereof shall become burning 
pitch. It shall not be quenched night 
nor day ; the smoke thereof shall go 
up forever ; from generation to gen- 
eration it shall lie waste; none shall 
pass through it forever and ever ;" Isa. 
xxxiv. 8 — 10. There can be no 
doubt that the punishments here de- 
scribed were temporal punishments; 



4 And the four and twenty 
elders and the four beasts fell 

and yet they are described in almost 
the precise terms that occur Rev. 
xiv. 10, 11. Let the reader also con- 
sult Jer. vii. 1 — 7. The 7th verse is : 
" Then will I cause you to dwell in 
this place, in the land that I gave to 
your fathers, forever and everP See, 
also, Jer. xxv. 5 : " Turn ye again 
now every one from his evil way, 
and from the evil of your doings, and 
dwell in the land that the Lord hath 
given unto you, and to your fathers, 
forever and ever." We do not deny, 
that there are instances in which the 
phrase will bear the sense of strictly 
endless duration ; but in these cases 
it is the subject itself that convinces 
us of the fact. But when the phrase 
is applied to the duration of time, to 
the ascending smoke of a burning 
city, and to the children of Israel 
dwelling in the land of Canaan, we 
know that strictly endless duration 
cannot be intended. It is our duty to 
seek to receive the precise sense 
which the sacred writers sought to 
convey. For a full argument on this 
point, see the remarks under xiv. 11, 
where our opinions are sustained by 
numerous quotations from the Scrip- 
tures. 

4. Four and twenty elders. — The 
four and twenty elders are repeatedly 
mentioned in the Apocalypse. They 
were imaginary personages, who sat 
around the throne of God, in the rev- 
elator's ideal of that glorious place, 
and formed in part the court of 
heaven. They are supposed to be 
intended as representatives of the 
Jewish and Gentile churches, twelve 
(the apostolical number) being put 
for each. See our remarks on Rev. 
iv. 4, 10; v. 8, 14; xi. 16; xiv. 3. 
% Four beasts. — The four beasts 
were symbolical animals, which never 
had real existence. Each had six 
wings, and they all were full of eyes 
within. It is unfortunate that the 
translators rendered zoa beasts, for 
living creatures would be a much 



314 



REVELATION. 



down and worshipped God that 
sat on the throne, saying, Amen ; 
Alleluia. 

5 And a voice came out of 
the throne, saying, Praise our 
God, all ye his servants, and ye 

better translation in this case. They 
were intelligent beings, exalted next 
to the throne of God, and were capa- 
ble of worshipping him. "Whence 
the revelator derived his metaphor of 
the four living creatures, may be 
seen by referring to Ezk. i. 5 — 14, 
and the whole of the 10th chapter of 
that book. Let it be observed, that 
the four living creatures are repre- 
sented having as high a degree of 
intelligence, and being as desirous to 
worship God, as the four and twenty 
elders. ^[ Amen, Alleluia. — They 
showed their acquiescence in the 
infliction of the divine judgments. 
It was right. The judgments of God 
are true and righteous altogether. 
See our remarks on verse 2 of this 
chapter, and also on xv. 3, 4 ; xvi. 5, 
6, 7, where the rectitude of the divine 
judgments is shown at large. 

5. A voice came out of the throne. — 
The revelator keeps up the form of 
his communication with the heavenly 
world. He described the dwelling- 
place of God, and the attendants 
around his throne, in chapter iv. 
Subsequently to this chapter, he con- 
siders God as residing in that high 
and holy place, until the New Jeru- 
salem comes down from God out of 
heaven, and from that time he says 
no more about the distant dwelling- 
place of God. Seexxi. 2 — 5. Through 
the first three chapters, nothing is 
said of the local heaven. It is first 
introduced in chapter iv., and con- 
tinues to chapter xx., after which we 
miss it from the description. The 
local heaven of the revelator was an 
ideal place, as the four and twenty 
elders, and the four beasts, were ideal 
beings, and the throne was an ideal 
throne. The deity, in whom the 
revelator most devoutly believed; was 



that fear him, hoth small and 
great. 

6 And I heard as it were the 
voice of a great multitude, and 
as the voice of many waters, 
and as the voice of mighty 

represented as residing in such a 
place, surrounded by such attendants, 
in the poetical style of the Apoca- 
lypse, to enable the revelator to give 
a fashion and form to his drama ; for 
the work certainly bears the dramatic 
form in part. Hence the commands 
come from that high and holy place ; 
the angels issue out from it ; and the 
great voices come from heaven, or 
from the throne. ^Praise our God, 
all ye his servants. — Here all the ser- 
vants of God on earth are called on 
to praise him for his judgments, after 
the manner of the elders and the liv- 
ing creatures in heaven. The voice 
came out of the throne, i. e., from the 
supposed dwelling-place of God. The 
intent of it is this : Praise him, for 
his judgments are true and righteous ; 
praise him, for he hath judged the 
great harlot ; praise him, for he hath 
avenged the blood of his servants. 

6. Voice of a great multitude. — 
This is in obedience to the command 
given in the preceding verse. All 
the servants of God, and all that 
feared him, small and great, were 
called on to rejoice. Well might the 
revelator say : " I heard as it were 
the voice [or voices] of a great multi- 
tude, and as the voice of many waters, 
and as the voice of mighty thunder- 
ings, [a mighty volume of sound.] 
saying, Alleluia," praise to Jehovah, 
&cc. Tl" For the Lord God omnipotent 
reigneth. — The omnipotence of God 
had been proved by the events that 
had taken place. The language here 
is truly sublime and poetical; and 
this is the only instance of its occur- 
rence in the Bible. The same senti- 
ment occurs in numerous instances, 
but the same language nowhere else: 
" The Lord God omnipotent reign- 
eth." Of all the enemies that had 



CHAPTER XIX. 



315 



thunderings, saying, Alleluia : j and give honor to him : for the 
for the Lord God omnipotent | marriage of the Lamb is come, 
reigneth. and his wife hath made herself 

7 Let us be glad and rejoice, ready. 



opposed the march of his truth, none 
had been able to succeed against it. 
Not even the dragon, nor the beast, 
nor the false prophet, nor all con- 
joined, with those who worshipped 
them, could overcome the cause of 
God. He is omnipotent. He doeth 
his will in the armies of heaven, and 
among the inhabitants of the earth, 
and none can stay his hand, or say 
unto him, What doest thou ? " The 
Lord God omnipotent reigneth." This 
was a sufficient matter of rejoicing. 
God is good, he is wise, he is just. 
He is such a being as every good and 
just man would desire should reign 
over the universe. If the dragon 
reigned, or the beast, what good man 
could rejoice ? But they were spee- 
dily to be overcome ; xix. 20 ; xx. 10. 
" Alleluia ; for the Lord God omnipo- 
tent reigneth."' 

7. Let us be glad and rejoice. — This 
is the continuation of what was said 
by the servants of God. They con- 
gratulated one another : "Let us be 
glad and rejoice, and give honor " to 
the Lord God. And why? ^ The 
marriage of the Lamb is come. — The 
Lamb is, of course, Jesus, the Lamb 
of God. His marriage festival is 
near, and his intended wife hath 
made herself ready. The nuptial 
relation is very frequently used by 
the prophets to describe the relation 
which God hath to his people. God 
spake to his people of old in the fol- 
lowing strain: "Fear not; for thou 
shalt not be ashamed, neither be thou 
confounded; for thou shalt not be 
pat to shame : for thou shalt forget 
the shame of thy youth, and shalt not 
remember the reproach of thy widow- 
hood any more. For thy Maker is 
thy husband ; the Lord of hosts is his 
name: and thy Redeemer the Holy 
One of Israel ; the God of the whole 
earth shall he be called. For the 



Lord hath called thee as a woman 
forsaken, and grieved in spirit, and a 
wife of youth, when thou wast refused, 
saith thy God ;" Isa. liv. 4 — 6. The 
same figure is of frequent occurrence 
in the New Testament : " Husbands, 
love your wives, even' as Christ also 
loved the church, and gave himself 
for it ; that he might sanctify and 
cleanse it with the washing of water 
by the word ;" Eph. v. 25, 26. " For 
this cause shall a man leave his 
father and mother, and shall be joined 
unto his wife, and they two shall be 
one flesh. This is a great mystery : 
but I speak concerning Christ and the 
church;" verses 31, 32. Once more: 
■'■For I am jealous over you with 
godly jealousy : for I have espoused 
you to one husband, that I may pre- 
sent you as a chaste virgin to Christ ;" 
2 Cor. xi. 2. Christ, then, is the 
husband, and the church is his bride. 
With what propriety of metaphor, 
therefore, does the revelator say, 
when describing the descent of the 
new Jerusalem, that it is " prepared 
as a bride adorned for her husband ;" 
Rev. xxi. 2. His wife hath made 
herself ready. — At the period which 
the revelator was describing, the time 
for the union between Christ and his 
church had come. The church had 
made herself ready to receive him. 
Notwithstanding all the opposition of 
the Roman authorities, both civil and 
religious, still the church was destined 
to be established. The time was at 
hand when the kingdom of God 
would come with power, and the new 
Jerusalem would descend from heaven 
in all its glory. And that this was 
the Lamb's wife, is fully evident 
from Rev. xxi. 9, 10: "And there 
came unto me one of the seven 
angels, which had the seven vials full 
of the seven last plagues, and talked 
with me, saying, Come hither, I will 



316 



REVELATION. 



8 And to her was granted 
that she should be arrayed in 

shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. 
And he carried me away in the spirit 
to a great and high mountain, and 
shewed me that great city, the holy 
Jerusalem, descending out of heaven 
from God." Be glad and rejoice for 
this : the new Jerusalem is about to 
descend from God out of heaven, pre- 
pared as a bride adorned for her hus- 
band ; and the church and the Mas- 
ter will be united forever. 

8. That she should be arrayed in fine 
linen. — The church, the Lamb's wife, 
was to be arrayed in fine linen. This 
was granted her as an honor. Fine 
linen was a fabric of great value 
among the Jews, and, in this case, it 
is spoken of as the bridal attire. It 
was an attire of honor, for it was 
worn by kings. Pharaoh was arrayed 
in a vesture of fine linen ; Gen. xli. 
42. Aaron was clad in the same 
material ; Exodus xxxix. 27 ; and 
David; 1 Chron. xv. 27; and Mor- 
decai, when he was honored ; Esther 
viii. 15. Dives, in the parable, was 
clothed in purple and fine linen ; Luke 
xvi. 19. This is sufficient to show 
that fine linen was a rare and costly 
attire, and was worn as a vesture of 
honor. The ephod of the high priest 
was made of it ; Ex. xxviii. 6. It 
was granted to the church that she 
should be arrayed in it. ^[ Clean and 
white. — And moreover, it is said that 
it was clean and white, i. e., all pure ; 
and we are expressly told what this 
metaphor of the fine linen, clean and 
white, represents, viz., " the right- 
eousness of saints." How readily 
this clean white linen reminds us of 
St. Paul's description of the sanctified 
church : " Christ loved the church, 
and gave himself for it ; that he 
might sanctify and cleanse it with the 
washing of water by the word, that 
he might present it to himself a glori- 
ous church, not having spot or wrin- 
kle, or any such thing; but that it 
should be holy and without blemish ;" 
Eph. v. 25 — 27. It does, indeed, rep- 



fine linen, clean and white : for 
the fine linen is the righteous- 

resent the righteousness of saints. 
Their sins are taken away ; they are 
sanctified and cleansed; they are 
washed by the power of the divine 
word, and this is the washing of 
regeneration; the church is without 
spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. 
See Rev. vii. 13, 14 : " And one of 
the elders answered, saying unto me, 
What are these which are arrayed in 
white robes ? and whence came they ? 
And I said unto him, Sir, thou know- 
est. And he said to me, These are 
they which came out of great tribula- 
tion, and have washed their robes, 
and made them white in the blood of 
the Lamb." The members of Christ's 
church were personally pure : and 
they were pure, not because the purity 
of Christ had been imputed or attrib- 
uted to them, but because they had 
passed through the washing of regen- 
eration. There is no other way in 
which the sinner can be made right- 
eous. And the proof of his being 
righteous is his good deeds. Hence 
St. John says : " He that doeth right- 
eousness is righteous ;" 1 John iii. 7. 
There is no other way to prove that 
we are really righteous ; and every 
man that doeth righteousness is to be 
regarded as thus righteous. The 
church, having been sanctified and 
cleansed, is said to be arrayed in fine 
linen, clean and white, — a metaphor 
for the righteousness of saints, or 
their purity and good works. Per- 
sons not well acquainted with the 
Bible sometimes suppose, that the 
beautiful vestments of fine linen 
which the redeemed are said to wear, 
and which bear a resemblance to the 
wedding garment, Matt. xxii. 12, 
represent the righteousness of Christ, 
which has been transferred to believ- 
ers. The passage before us serves to 
correct that false notion, since it is 
expressly said to be " the righteous- 
ness of saints." No man can be 
righteous merely on account of the 
righteous deeds which another person 



CHAPTER XIX. 



317 



ness of saints. 

9 And he saith unto me, 
Write, Blessed are they which 
are called unto the marriage- 
supper of the Lamb. And he 



has performed, and independently of 
his own deeds. A righteous man 
will perform righteous deeds himself; 
and if he does not perform such 
deeds in his own person, he is not to 
be regarded as being righteous. He 
may as well seek to be handsome on 
account of another's beauty, as to be 
righteous on account of another's 
righteousness. Righteousness is a 
personal thing ; and so also is wick- 
edness. "We are not sinners because 
Adam sinned, but because we our- 
selves have sinned. " Death passed 
upon all men, for all have sinned ;" 
Rom. v. 12. If men may be sinful 
on account of Adam's acts of sin, and 
righteous on account of Christ's acts 
of righteousness, then they may have 
a character altogether independent of 
their own acts, which is an absurdity. 
Adam never made any man a sinner 
except through the influence of his 
evil example ; and Christ never made 
any man righteous by being righteous 
in his room and stead. He gives us 
the influence of his life, his precepts, 
his doctrines ; and in this way he 
leads us to purity of heart, and per- 
sonal righteousness. 

9. Marriage-supper of the Lamb. — 
The marriage of the Lamb having 
come, and his wife having made her- 
self ready, the marriage is to take 
place ; and blessed are they which 
are called unto the supper. Jesus 
had said to the church at Laodieea, 
" If any man hear my voice, and 
open the door, I will come in to him, 
and will sup with him, and he with 
me ;" Rev. iii. 20. To be invited 
to the marriage-supper was a high 
honor, especially if the host were a 
distinguished personage. Bat if a 
person came to a wedding, he was 
expected to be clad in the appropriate 
attire j and for a neglect of this, he 
27* 



saith unto me, These are the 
true sayings of God. 

10 And I fell at his feet to 
worship him, And he said 
unto me, See thou do it not : I 



was liable to be expelled from the 
assembly. See Matt. xxii. 11 — 13. 
" Blessed are they which are called 
unto the marriage-supper of the 
Lamb or, as the same thought was 
expressed in Luke's Gospel : " Blessed 
is he that shall eat bread in the king- 
dom of God ;" xiv. 15. To eat bread 
in the kingdom of God is to feast 
upon the dainties of the gospel. This 
kingdom, it will be recollected, had 
not come in its entire effects when 
the Apocalypse was written. Almost 
all the New Testament writers looked 
forward to it. It came in its full 
power at the second advent of Jesus, 
when Judaism passed away, and the 
gospel was fully established. To this 
time Jesus seems to have referred, 
when he said, at the close of the 
Lord's Supper, " I will drink no more 
of the fruit of the vine, until that day 
that 1 drink it- new in the kingdom 
of God ;" Mark xiv. 25 ; Luke xxii. 
16. Jesus promised to be with his 
church, in spirit, even after his 
ascension into glory. In this way, he 
fulfilled his promise of drinking with 
them anew in the kingdom of God, — 
a proof that the Lord's Supper was 
not to be discontinued at the second 
coming, as has been by some sup- 
posed. The rich blessings of the 
gospel are represented under various 
metaphors. That of the revelator is 
striking; xxii. 14. "Blessed are 
they that do his commandments, that 
they may have right to the tree of 
life, and may enter in through the 
gates into the city." ^[ These are the 
true sayings of God ; — or, in the more 
common language of our own day, 
this is God's truth. And such we 
have shown to be the fact, by the 
quotations we have made •from vari- 
ous parts of the Scriptures. 

10. To worship him. — Perhaps this 



318 



REVELATION. 



am thy fellow-servant, and of 
thy brethren that have the testi- 
mony of Jesus : worship God : 
for the testimony of Jesus is the 
spirit of prophecy. 

11 And I saw heaven opened, 

does not mean that the revelator 
intended to offer divine worship to the 
angel. It is true, he " fell at his feet 
to worship him." He was evidently- 
overcome with emotion at the great 
facts which had been disclosed ; but 
it must be remembered, that falling 
to the ground in adoration was a 
mark of respect frequently shown by 
the Jews to men. Thus Ruth saluted 
Boaz : " Then she fell on her face, 
and bowed herself to the ground, and 
said unto him, Why have I found 
grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldst 
take knowledge of me, seeing I am a 
stranger?" Ruth ii. 10. So Abigail 
bowed before David: "And when 
Abigail saw David, she hasted, and 
lighted off the ass, and fell before 
David on her face, and bowed herself 
to the ground, and fell at his feet," 
&c. ; 1 Sam. xxv. 23*, 24. We see, 
then, that the act of prostration was 
a mark of respect often shown to 
earthly superiors. When the reve- 
lator fell at the feet of the angel, the 
latter said, " See thou do it not : I am 
thy fellow-servant," &c. As if he 
had said, There is no need of this dis- 
play of humility on your part : I am 
a servant like you ; I am one of your 
brethren that have the testimony of 
Jesus 5 let your worship be given to 
God, who has revealed to me all that 
I know. For the testimony of Jesus 
is the spirit of prophecy ; i. e., I have 
the testimony of Jesus, and you have 
the spirit of prophecy, and Jesus has 
testified through me the things which 
you prophesy. We are equals, there- 
fore ; render no homage to me, but 
" worship God." 

11. Heaven opened. — The revelator 
received his revelations from heaven, 
described chap, iv., the imaginary 
dwelling-place of the Most High ; as 



and behold, a white horse ; and 
he that sat upon him was called 
Faithful and True, and in right- 
eousness he doth judge and 
make war. 

12 His eyes were as a flame 

if heaven were the place where all the 
preparations were made, previously 
to the exhibition to the revelator. 
See our remarks on ver. 5 of this 
chapter. Heaven is opened, and the 
scene begins. ^ A white horse. — 
This is the same metaphor that was 
employed when Christ was described 
as coming forth to conquer his ene- 
mies, the Jews ; vi. 2. He then went 
forth conquering and to conquer ; and 
he is now to do the same thing again 
in reference to the Gentiles. Con- 
querors rode on white horses. The 
Roman generals, in returning from 
their conquests, rode in chariots drawn 
by white horses. Hence the horse on 
which the great captain of the Chris- 
tian army rode was white, as a sign 
of certain victory. See the notes on 
vi. 2. IT Faithful and True. — This 
is evidently one of the titles of the 
Lord Jesus, and we have found it 
applied to him before, in the Apoca- 
lypse. He is called " the faithful 
Witness, the First-begotten of the 
dead, and the Prince of the kings of 
the earth ;" i. 5 ; and the language 
in iii. 14 is precisely parallel : " These 
things saith the Amen, the faithful 
and true Witness, the beginning of the 
creation of God." There is no doubt, 
then, that Jesus is intended by the 
"Faithful and True," who rode on 
the white horse. Once more ; in iii. 
7: "These things saith he that is 
holy, he that is true," &c. This style 
is precisely that of the apostle John ; 
and it raises a strong presumption 
that he was the author of the Apoca- 
lypse. See 1 John v. 20. See, also, 
the note on iii. 7. Jesus was the 
Faithful and True. ^[ In righteous- 
ness doth he judge, &c. — He judged 
the nations righteously. This, it was 
repeatedly affirmed by the prophets, 



CHAPTER XIX. 



319 



of fire, and on his head were 
many crowns ; and he had a 
name written, that no man 
knew but he himself. 



the Messiah should do. "He shall 
judge the people righteously." The 
progress of his truth over all the er- 
rors of the heathen is represented by 
the " Prince of the kings of the earth" 
making war upon them ; and the 
sufferings that his enemies endured 
under the judgments of God are 
described by the havoc of war. These 
figures are of frequent occurrence in 
the Apocalypse ; we find them almost 
everywhere. In fact, the metaphors 
of the Bible at large are borrowed 
from nearly all the arts and occupa- 
tions that were known to the Jews at 
the time of the writing of the books. 
But we have not done with the " Faith- 
ful and True." Let us go on with a 
description of his person. 

12. His eyes as a flame of fire. — 
This is the exact description we have 
heretofore found ; Rev. i. 14. The 
eyes were radiant ; they glowed with 
life. ^[ On his head were many crowns. 
— The crown was the sign of honor 
and supreme authority. Once Jesus 
wore a crown of thorns ; John xix. 5. 
That was in the days of his suffering 
and humility. But when he came 
forth conquering and to conquer, then 
he wore not a crown of disgrace but 
crowns of honor and authority. All 
kings wear crowns ; but Jesus is said 
to have worn many crowns, because 
he is the King of kings and Lord of 
lords. He had abundant authority. 
All power in heaven and on earth 
was given to him ; Matt, xxviii. 18 ; 
and especially did he have authority 
to execute judgment ; John v. 22, 27. 
Under the gospel the Father judgeth 
no man, but hath committed all judg- 
ment unto the Son ; and in view of 
the facts here suggested, it is said 
that on his head were many crowns. 
If He had a name written, that no man 
knew but he himself. — We have met 
with this description before. Seech.ii. 



13 And he was clothed with 
a vesture dipped in blood : and 
his name is called The Word 
of God. 



17 : " To him that overcometh will I 
give to eat of the hidden manna, and 
will give him a white stone, and in the 
stone a new name written, which no 
man knoweth saving he that receiv- 
eth it." See our remarks on that 
verse. The figure was perhaps drawn 
from the fact that the high priest 
alone could pronounce the name upon 
his mitre. See Stuart on the verse. 
Dr. Adam Clarke says, that the Jews 
never attempt to pronounce the name 
of Jehovah ; and they affirm that the 
true pronunciation has been lost since 
the captivity in Babylon ; and that no 
man now knows the true interpreta- 
tion or pronunciation, but God him- 
self. (See his Com. on this place.) 
If this be so, it is possible that the 
expression in this place, and also in 
ii. 17, is borrowed from the fact. 
Some suppose there is a reference 
here to Isa. ix. 6, 7 : " His name shall 
be called Wonderful" &c. &c. Hav- 
ing thus described the person of the 
" Faithful and True," we come now 
to his nature. 

13. Vesture dipped in blood. — This 
is agreeable to the sanguinary charac- 
ter of the metaphor. The Faithful and 
True has on his war-clothing, which 
bears marks that he has seen service 
in the field before this time. The 
metaphor probably was borrowed 
from Isaiah lxiii. 1 — 4. " Who is 
this that cometh from Edom, with 
dyed garments from Bozrah ? this 
that is glorious in his apparel, travel- 
ling in the greatness of his strength ? 
I that speak in righteousness, mighty 
to save. Wherefore art thou red in 
thine apparel, and thy garments like 
him that treadeth in the wine-fat ? I 
have trodden the wine-press alone ; 
and of the people there was none with 
me : for 1 will tread them in mine 
anger, and trample them in my fury, 
and their blood shall be sprinkled 



320 



REVELATION. 



14 And the armies which 
were in heaven followed him 
upon white horses, clothed in 
fine linen, white and clean. 

upon my garments,, and I will stain 
all my raiment. For the day of ven- 
geance is in my heart, and the year 
of my redeemed is come." These are 
sanguinary metaphors to apply to the 
Prince of Peace; but such was the 
manner of writing in the revelator's 
day and country. We are not to in- 
fer from them that Jesus had any 
cruelty in his spirit ; they are merely 
the imagery of the chapter. ^[ The 
word of God. — Is this the name the 
interpretation of which no man knew, 
but Christ himself? If so, why should 
we attempt the explanation? The 
same name, it must be confessed, 
seems to be referred to both in the 
12th and 13th verses. John after- 
ward spoke more fully of this name, 
viz., in his Gospel. " In the beginning 
was the Logos, or "Word," &c; John 
i. 1. This name is found only in the 
writings of John. We shall not at- 
tempt the interpretation of it ; but it 
seems difficult to avoid the impres- 
sion that we see John's style in the 
Apocalypse. 

14. The armies which were in heaven. 
— The next thing in the scene was 
the armies that followed the True and 
Faithful. The scene represents these 
armies as issuing out of heaven, seat- 
ed on white horses. See xvii. 14, where 
we are told that they who follow the 
King of kings and Lord of lords, are 
" called" and "chosen" and "faith- 
ful." They were honorable men, and 
hence are not compared to foot sol- 
diers, but to the cavalry, the most 
stately part of an army, all mounted 
on white horses. They were clothed 
in fine linen, white and clean ; and 
this shows they were members of the 
church of Christ, which, as his bride, 
was adorned in the same manner. 
Verse 8. 

15. Goeth a sharp sword. — The met- 
aphor of a sword going out of the 



15 And out of his mouth 
goeth a sharp sword, that with 
it he should smite the nations : 
and he shall rule them with a 



mouth seems to us a most unnatural 
one. But we are to consider that 
this sword represents the word of 
God. " For the word of God is quick 
and powerful, and sharper than any 
two-edged sword, piercing even to the 
dividing asunder of soul and spirit, 
and of the joints and marrow, and is 
a discerner of the thoughts and in- 
tents of the heart;" Heb. iv. 12. 
Did the revelator quote this figure 
from the epistle to the Hebrews ? or 
did the writer of the epistle quote from 
the Apocalypse? We think the lat- 
ter. We have found the same figure 
in other parts of the Apocalypse. 
See i. 16 ; ii. 12. ^[ Smite the nations. 
— The figure here is borrowed, appa- 
rently, from Isaiah. In describing 
Christ's reign among the nations, in 
the gospel, he says : " But with right- 
eousness shall he judge the poor, and 
reprove with equity for the meek of 
the earth ; and he shall smite the 
earth with the rod of his mouth, and 
with the breath of his lips shall he 
slay the wicked ;" xi. 4. This is cer- 
tainly a metaphor to show the effect 
which the word of God produces upon 
the nations. And the same may also 
be said of the next sentence, % He 
shall rule them with a rod of iron. — 
This again is a prophetical metaphor. 
The rod is a sign of power. Moses, 
as the leader of the children of Israel, 
had a rod, called the rod of God. It 
was the sign of his power as the 
agent of the Most High ; Exod iv. 20 ; 
and xvii. 9. Power is sometimes 
necessarily employed for the correc- 
tion of the wicked; and the rod or 
sign then is called '•' the rod of cor- 
rection ;" Psalms lxxxix. 32; Prov. 
xxii. 15. Nations whom God uses as 
agents for the punishment of other 
nations, are called the "rod of his 
anger ;" Isa. x. 5. The transforming 
power of the gospel, before which all 



CHAPTER XIX. 



321 



rod of iron : and he treadeth 
the wine-press of the fierceness 
and wrath of Almighty God. 

16 And he hath on his ves- 
ture and on his thigh a name 

must fall, is set forth under the met- 
aphor of a "rod of iron," or the rod 
of God's mouth, as the sword was 
u the sword of his mouth ;" and the 
effect of God smiting the earth with 
the rod of his mouth is this : " They 
shall not hurt nor destroy in all my 
holy mountain : for the earth shall 
be full of the knowledge of the Lord, 
as the waters cover the sea." Com- 
pare Isa. xi. 9 with 4. The efficacy 
of the gospel in overturning all the 
systems of heathenism is described 
as follows by the Psalmist : " Ask of 
me and I shall give thee the heathen 
for thine inheritance, and the utter- 
most parts of the earth for thy posses- 
sion. Thou shalt break them with a 
rod of iron ; thou shalt dash them in 
pieces like a potter's vessel;" Psa. ii. 
8, 9. ^[ He treadeth the wine-press, 
&c. — This seems to be a quotation 
from Isa. lxiii. 3 ; and it is used to 
show, that as grapes are crushed be- 
neath the feet of him who tramples 
them, so should the enemies of the 
chureh be put down, by the power of 
Christ and his gospel. See our re- 
marks on xiv. 19, 20. 

16. On his thigh. — The name was 
wrought on that part of the vesture 
which covered the thigh ; which is a 
conspicuous part of a person sitting 
on a horse. ^ King of kings and Lord 
of lords. — This name or title is very 
expressive. Under the gospel, Jesus 
has all power. " The Father judge th 
no man, but hath committed all judg- 
ment unto the Son John v. 22 ; 
hence he is called "the blessed and 
only potentate, the King of kings and 
Lord of lords;" 1 Tim. vi. 16. For 
his high authority he is said to be 
the " Prince of the kings of the earth ;" 
Rev. i. 5 ; and in xvii. 14, xix. 16, he 
is styled < c King of kings and Lord of 
lords." All through the Apocalypse, 



written, KING OF KINGS, 
AND LORD OF LORDS. 

17 And I saw an angel stand- 
ing in the sun ; and he cried 
with a loud voice, saying to a]l 

as well as in other parts of the New 
Testament, and in the prophets, Je- 
sus is represented as having power 
over the kings of the earth. They 
hide themselves in the dens at his 
presence ; Rev. vi. 15 ; and before the 
mighty army of his church they fall, 
and the fowls that fly in the midst 
of heaven devour their flesh ; xix. 17. 

17. Angel standing in the sun. — The 
angel of this part of the scene is 
described as standing in the sun. 
The tout ensemble here is truly sub- 
lime. 1st. Heaven is opened, and the 
"Faithful and True," in appearance 
most striking and majestic, rides forth 
into the scene upon a white horse. 
2d. Following him come the armies 
of the faithful upon white horses, 
beautiful in appearance, their gar- 
ments of the richest texture, and white 
and clean. How must such an army 
have glistened in the light of the sun ! 
3d. An angel is seen standing in the 
sun ; and he cried with a loud voice 
to all the fowls of heaven, to come to 
the supper of the great God. He was 
infinitely above them all. An eagle, 
in its loftiest height, would be im- 
mensely beneath him. What a com- 
manding position from which to ad- 
dress the fowls that " fly in the midst 
of heaven." Could we have an actual 
vision like that which passed in the 
imagination of the revelator, the soul 
would be overcome by the magnifi- 
cence and sublimity of the scene. 
If Gather yourselves together for the 
supper of the great God. — In the ani- 
mated language of the prophets, their 
predictions are often announced under 
the form of commands. See Isaiah 
xiv. 21, and Jer. ix. 17, 18. The or- 
der was given to the brute animals 
to do only what the revelator meant 
to predict that they would do. But 
he quickens and enlivens his style by 



322 



REVELATION. 



the fowls that fly in the midst 
of heaven, Come, and gather 
yourselves together unto the 
supper of the great God ; 

18 That ye may eat the flesh 
of kings, and the flesh of cap- 
using the form of a command. The 
reason for calling the fowls together 
to " the supper of the great God," will 
be explained in the next verse. 

18. Eat the flesh of kings. — In a 
time of war, kings, and captains, and 
mighty men, and horses, are slain; 
and if left unburied, the birds of prey- 
feed upon their bodies. As the reve- 
lator had represented Jesus under 
the figure of a commander of armies, 
and his saints under that of the ar- 
mies, and his word under that of the 
sword, and the struggle between his 
truth and prevailing errors under 
that of a contest, so, to carry out and 
complete the allegory, he speaks of the 
slain, an immense number, who lie 
unburied, as food for the vulture and 
other ravenous birds. By a bold per- 
sonification, he calls on the birds to 
come to "the supper of the great 
God," called His supper, on the same 
principle in which an army employed 
by Him for the purpose of chastising 
some rebellious nation is called the 
rod of His anger and His indignation ; 
Isa. x. 5. Poets of old were accus- 
tomed to describe the fate of warriors 
in this manner. See the opening of 
the Iliad. We quote from Pope : 

" Achilles' wrath, to Greece the direful spring 
Of woes unnumbered, heavenly Goddess, 
sing ! 

That wrath which hurled to Pluto's gloomy 
reign 

The souls of mighty chiefs untimely slain, 
"Whose limbs, unburied on the naked shore, 
Devouring dogs and hungry vultures tore; 
Since great Achilles and Atrides strove, 
Such was the sovereign doom, and such the 
will of Jove." 
David told the Philistines, "I will 
give the carcasses of the host of the 
Philistines this day unto the fowls of 
the air, and to the wild beasts of the 
earth ; that all the earth may know 
that there is a God in Israel -" 1 Sam. 



tains, and the flesh of mighty 
men, and the flesh of horses, 
and of them that sit on them, 
and the flesh of all men, both 
free and bond, both small and 
great. 

xvii. 46. — See, also, Isa. xviii. 6, and 
lvi.9; Jer. vii. 33, and xii. 9. But 
the particular passage which the rev- 
elator seems to have had m his eye, 
when he drew his allegory, was Ezk. 
xxxix. 17 — 20: "And, thou son of 
man, thus saith the Lord God* 
Speak unto every feathered fowl, and 
to every beast of the field • assemble 
yourselves, and come ; gather your- 
selves on every side to my sacrifice 
that I do sacrifice for you, even a 
great sacrifice upon the mountains 
of Israel, that ye may eat flesh and 
drink blood. Ye shall eat the flesh 
of the mighty, and drink the blood of 
the princes of the earth, of rams, of 
lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, aU 
of them failings of Bashan. And ye 
shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink 
blood till ye be drunken, of my sacri- 
fice which I have sacrificed for you. 
Thus ye shall be filled at my table 
with horses and chariots, with migh- 
ty men, and with all men of war, saith 
the Lord God." Thus it will be seen 
the figure was not original with the 
revelator. How appropriate to the 
revelator's application are the suc- 
ceeding words of the prophet: "And 
I will set my glory among the hea- 
then, all the heathen shall see my judg- 
ment that I have executed, and my 
hand that I have laid upon them ;" 
verse 21. " The principal design of 
the imagery, after all, is to portray 
in vivid colors the disgraceful death 
of the followers of the beast. To lie 
unburied, and thus become the prey 
of ravenous birds or beasts, was 
regarded by the ancients with pecu- 
liar horror." — Stuart. And now the 
threatening being complete, the war 
will begin. 

19. The beast, the kings of the earth, 
and their armies. — These are the op* 



CHAPTER XIX. 



323 



19 And I saw the beast, and 
the kings of the earth, and their 
armies, gathered together to 
make war against him that sat 
on the horse, and against his 
army. 

20 And the beast was taken, 

posing armies to those of the Lamb. 
The revelator, having described the 
former, introduces now the latter. 
The beast, (the secular power of the 
empire,) the kings of the earth, (that 
were subject to the empire,) and their 
forces, all conspired to put down Christ 
and his cause ; or, in the figurative 
language, " to make war against him 
that sat on the horse, and against his 
army." And what will be the conse- 
quence ? 

20. The beast was taken. — This 
battle is described rather by its con- 
sequences than in its details. The 
victory of the <• Faithful and True'' 
was complete. The commander of 
the opposing army was taken, and 
with him the false prophet that 
wrought miracles before him, with 
which mankind had been deceived. 
On the subject of these miracles, see 
on xiii. 14 ■ xvi. 14 : and on " the 
mark of the beast," see the remarks 
under xiii. 1(5. 17 ; xiv. 9 — 11 ; xv. 2 • 
xvii. 2; xx. 4. The beast and the 
false prophet had been united together 
in their operations ; the latter had 
been a powerful auxiliary of the for- 
mer ; chap. xiii. 11 — 15: and conse- 
quently they both fall together. « The 
beast was taken, and with him the 
' false prophet." The leaders were 
seized. And what became of them? 
-ff Both were cast alive into a lake of 
fire. — They were utterly destroyed, 
which is signified by their being cast 
alive into a lake of fire burning with 
brimstone. It is perhaps said that 
they are cast alive into this lake, in 
order to represent their torment to be 
the more keen. This is the first in- 
stance in which we have met with 
the figure of " the lake of fire and 
brimstone," which is purely apocalyp- 



and with him the false prophet 
that wrought miracles before 
him, with which he deceived 
them that had received the 
mark of the beast, and them 
that worshipped his image. 
These both were cast alive 

tical, occurring nowhere else in the 
Bible. We shall seek first for the 
origin of the metaphor, and afterward 
for the intent of it. This figure of 
the "lake of fire and brimstone" 
unquestionably had its origin in the 
destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, 
and the neighboring cities. They 
were overthrown by fire from heaven. 

Then the Lord rained upon Sodom 
and upon Gomorrah brimstone and 
fire from the Lord out of heaven :" 
Gen. xix. 24. On account of this 
event, these cities became very noted 
in the sacred writings of the Jews. 
The mention of them frequently oc- 
curs by way of metaphor or compar- 
ison. A wicked city was on that 
account called Sodom. Moses told 
the Jews, that if they did not obey 
God, but forsook him and rebelled 
against him, their land should become 
" brimstone and salt and burning," 
like the overthrow of Sodom, &c, 
which the Lord overthrew in his 
anger and in his wrath*, Deut. xxix. 
23. Sodom being overthrown by a 
shower of fire and brimstone, any 
land given up to devastation was said 
to become brimstone and burning. 
The figure of the shower of fire and 
brimstone came to be used to repre- 
sent any severe judgment for sin, as 
Psa. xi. 5 : " Upon the wicked he shall 
rain snares, fire and brimstone, and a 
horrible tempest; this shall be the 
portion of their cup." Sodom and 
the other cities being situated in a low 
plain, or valley, the place where they 
stood became a lake, or sea, and is in 
our day the site of the Dead Sea. 
This is a lake of brimstone or bitu- 
men, which is continually rising to 
the surface and floating to the shore, 
and the shore itself is found to con- 



324 



REVELATION. 



into a lake of fire burning with 
brimstone. 



tain large quantities of the inflam- 
mable substance. When these cities 
were burning, they looked to persons 
on the surrounding high lands as a 
" lake of fire and brimstone." When 
Bonaparte, from an elevated position, 
saw Moscow burning, he described it 
as an "ocean of flame." The figure, 
then, of the lake of fire and brimstone 
originated in the fall of Sodom and 
Gomorrah ; and it was used by the 
sacred writers to signify a thorough 
and irreparable destruction. It is 
a parallel case to the use of Gehenna. 
Gehenna, or the valley of Hinnom, 
which was a place of great impurity 
during the idolatrous practices of the 
Jews, and also afterwards a place of 
severe punishments, became a meta- 
phor, in process of time, for any ter- 
rible judgment; and so the vale of 
Siddim, (where Sodom and her sisters 
stood,) which had been the place of 
such an awful and complete over- 
throw by fire and brimstone, now a 
lake, abounding in bitumen, became 
a metaphor for a complete overthrow 
and total and incurable destruction. 
When it is said, therefore, that the 
beast and the false prophet were cast 
alive into a lake of fire burning with 
brimstone, the meaning is, that they 
were afflicted with very severe suffer- 
ings, that resulted in their entire 
destruction, so that they were as com- 
pletely overthrown as were Sodom 
and Gomorrah. Prof. Stuart says, it 
intends a " speedy and dreadful pun- 
ishment." The being cast into a 
" lake of fire and brimstone," intends 
a severe punishment, like " being tor- 
mented with fire and brimstone," in 
xiv. 10, 11, where we have shown 
that the metaphor was unquestionably 
used, (as every one must acknowl- 
edge,) by the Jewish prophets, to sig- 
nify temporal judgments. Let the 
reader peruse carefully the notes on 
that verse. The beast and false 
prophet were cast into fire and brim- 



21 And the remnant were 
slain with the sword of him 



stone like those who had worshipped 
them. And that this intended tem- 
poral punishments is evident from the 
language of the next verse, where we 
shall see that "all the fowls were 
filled with their flesh a metaphor 
that could not be applied to the 
spiritual and immortal state. 

21. And the remnant were slain. — 
In the preceding verse we have an 
account of the fall of the beast and 
the false prophet ; and in this verse 
we see described the destruction of 
their armies. They were slain with 
the sword of his mouth, or rather, 
were put down by the power of his 
word, compared to a two-edged sword. 
^[ All the fowls were filled with their 
flesh. — This was added merely to 
balance the different parts of the 
allegory, as it had been commenced 
in verses 17 and 18, and concerning 
which a sufficient explanation has 
been given. Does not the whole alle- 
gory show that the punishments spo- 
ken of in this chapter do not refer to 
the immortal state ? Those who wor- 
shipped the beast and his image 
were, like the beast, tormented in fire 
and brimstone; xiv. 11. Now, that 
their fall and destruction did not in- 
tend torment in the immortal state, is 
evident from the metaphor that the 
fowls were filled with their flesh. 
The intent of the revelator surely was 
to represent that their destruction was 
on the earth. And now, as we are 
brought to the end of the chapter, 
there is one thing not to be forgotten. 
We have learned the destruction of 
the beast, and the false prophet, and 
their enemies ; but nothing has been 
said about the overthrow of the great 
dragon. The dragon, and the beast, 
and the false prophet, were all de- 
scribed together in their introduction 
into the Apocalypse, and we might 
expect they would be grouped to- 
gether in their fall. To this we 
reply, that the fall of the dragon is 



CHAPTER XX. 



325 



that sat upon the horse, which 
sword proceeded out of his 
mouth : and all the fowls were 
filled with their flesh. 



portrayed in the 20th chapter, and 
it will be considered in its proper 
place. 

CHAPTER XX. 

Preliminary Remarks. — This has 
been regarded as one of the most dif- 
ficult chapters in the whole book. 
What we have already said on pre- 
ceding chapters will assist us mate- 
rially in understanding this. The 
third grand division of the Apoca- 
lypse commences at chap, xii., where 
we first find mention made of the 
dragon, which represented Rome in 
its religious character, as distin- 
guished from the beast of chap, xiii., 
which represented its secular char- 
acter. The three principal metaphors 
representing the Roman opposers of 
Christianity are the dragon, the 
beast, and the false prophet. The 
harlot who sat upon the beast, (chap, 
xvii.,) we have fully shown was the 
city of Rome, (xvii. 9, 18.) These 
all made war on the Lamb, — that is, 
they all opposed the Christian reli- 
gion. But the truth of Christ was 
great, and mightily prevailed through- 
out the Roman Empire, so that Paul 
said, even when he wrote his Epistle 
to the Romans, speaking of the Chris- 
tian teachers, " their sound went out 
into all the earth, and their words 
unto the ends of the world;" x. 18. 
This agrees with the language of 
Jesus, when speaking of the end of 
the Jewish age : " And this gospel of 
the kingdom shall be preached in all 
the world, for a witness unto all 
nations ; and then shall the end 
come Matt. xxiv. 14. All the 
powers of Rome could not arrest its 
spread. The Lamb was victorious. 
" There was war in heaven : Michael 
and his angels fought against the 
dragon : and the dragon fought and 
28 



CHAPTER XX. 

AND I saw an angel come 
down from heaven, having 



his angels, and prevailed not.; neither 
was their place found any more in 
heaven. And the great dragon was 
cast out, that old serpent, called the 
Devil, and Satan, which deceive th 
the whole world : he was cast out 
into the earth, and his angels were 
cast out with him ;" Rev. xii. 7 — 9. 
" They overcame him by the blood of 
the Lamb, and by the word of their 
testimony ;" ver. 11. Still the dragon 
continued to persecute the woman 
that brought forth the man-child, 
(ver. 13,) i. e., the new covenant, 
under the figure of a woman. The 
dragon persecuted all who adopted 
the new covenant. The woman was 
a metaphor ; for, as Paul says, these 
things are an allegory ; Gal. iv. 24 ; 
and Jerusalem which is above is free, 
which is the mother of us all ; ver. 26. 
The beast and the false prophet also 
fought against the Lamb ; Rev. xix. 

19. But the dragon, the beast, and 
the false prophet, were all three con- 
quered and destroyed. The destruc- 
tion of the latter two is described xix. 

20, 21, i. e., at the very close of the 
19th chapter ; and hence the 20th 
chapter opens with an account of the 
binding or restraining of the dragon, 
previously to his destruction. 

1. Angel came down from heaven-. — 
The revelator still keeps in his mind 
the local heaven, which he first intro- 
duced into his drama at chapter iv. 
1 — 4. At the beginning of chap. xxi. 
he describes, as we shall see, the 
descent of the new Jerusalem from 
God out of heaven to men, and God 
thenceforth dwells not in a distant 
place ; but his tabernacle, or place of 
rest, is with men, and he will dwell 
with them, and be their God. From 
the introduction of that tabernacle, we 
find no further mention of the place 
described in chap. iv. But that place 
is kept up in the revelator' s imagina- 



326 



REVELATION. 



the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 



tion through the chapter on which we 
are now remarking. The angel came 
down from heaven. The scene of 
the events described in the twentieth 
chapter is certainly laid on the earth ; 
but the whole description is imagi- 
nary ; precisely as the armies of 
heaven, who rode forth on white 
horses, (mentioned in the preceding 
chapter,) were imaginary. We must 
not forget that the whole is allegori- 
cal, and is designed merely to set 
forth ihe struggle between heathen- 
ism and Christianity, and the final 
triumph of the latter. He who adopts 
any other principle of interpretation 
will involve himself in endless fan- 
cies. But the chapter we are now 
expounding has been so frequently 
misapplied, that it is well to look even 
at the basis of the allegory, and show 
in what customs of thinking it had its 
origin. "We repeat, then, that the 
scene is evidently laid on the earth. 
The whole chapter shows that the 
earth is contemplated as being in 
existence, and the nations are dis- 
tributed over it ; see verses 3, 8, 9. 
This fact must be remembered. The 
angel was said to come down, because 
the dwelling-place of God and of the 
angels was thought to be above the 
earth. It was called heaven, a word 
of very varied signification, used 
sometimes to signify the dwelling- 
place of God, as at the commence- 
ment of the Lord's Prayer ; Matt. vi. 
9 ; and sometimes to signify a prin- 
ciple, or spirituality, like the invisible 
but all-powerful kingdom of the Lord 
Jesus Christ ; Luke xvii. 20, 21, and 
Rom. xiv. 17. But in the passage 
before us, it unquestionably signifies 
the supposed locality first introduced 
into the Apocalypse at iv. 1 — 4. 
*[f Key of the bottomless pit. — The 
angel brings with him from heaven 
the key of the bottomless pit, and also 
a great chain in his hand. The key 
is a sign of power to confine, or 
release. In Rev. i. 18, Jesus is said 
to have "the keys of hell and of 



death," to signify that he had power 
to bind and control them. They 
were subject to his authority. So 
those who had power given them to 
bind and loose things in heaven, were 
said to receive the keys of the king- 
dom of heaven ; Matt. xvi. 19 ; that 
is, they received great authority in 
the kingdom of the Lord Jesus. As 
the dragon was not a real being, but 
an imaginary representative of the 
heathen powers, so the bottomless pit 
was not a reality, but a metaphor, to 
denote that the dragon was cast down 
into degradation. He had been ex- 
alted to the pinnacle of glory ; he 
was cast down and restrained. The 
phrase "bottomless pit" occurs only 
in the following places: Rev. ix. 1, 
2, 11 ; xi. 7; xvii. 8 5 xx. 1, 3. We 
have explained the metaphor, under 
ix. 2. Let the reader see the note 
there. The bottomless pit was an 
imaginary cavern in the earth, — 

" In the lowest depth, a lower deep." 

It is only in two cases out of the 
seven, (viz., ix. 1, 2,) that there can 
be any pretence that bottomless is a 
just translation ; for in the other five 
cases, the word abussos (abyss) stands 
by itself, without any attempt to 
increase its force. In the verse before 
us, the pit was an imaginary cavern, 
beneath the surface of the earth ; and 
as the revelator desired to represent 
the restraining of the dragon for a 
season, he supposes him to be thrust 
into this cavern. But we are an- 
ticipating our remarks on the 3d 
verse. Let the reader observe care- 
fully what may be said there. 
If Chain in his hand. — This strength- 
ens the metaphor. The angel comes 
down to the earth to bind the dragon 
for a season. He brings with him, 
therefore, two implements, viz., the 
key of the imaginary pit, cavern, or 
depth, and the great chain. The 
plan is, that the dragon is to be 
secured permanently for a season. 
2. He laid hold on the dragon.— 



CHAPTER XX. 



327 



2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which 



The dragon represented the empire in 
its heathen character, as the beast 
represented its secular character. The 
angel, the messenger of the Most 
High, laid hold upon him, and cast 
him down, and bound him a thousand 
years. We first read of this dragon 
xii. 3, where he is called the " great 
red dragon;" he had great power; 
he was seen in heaven, i. e., in the 
firmament, among the stars, many 
of which he threw down to the earth ; 
he made war on the woman, the rep- 
resentative of Christianity : xii. 4. 
There was war, and the firmament 
was the battle-field. The dragon and 
his angels were on the^ one side, and 
Michael and his angels on the other. 
The dragon and his forces were 
beaten, and " neither was there place 
found for them any more in heaven ;" 
7 and 8. We must, therefore, hence- 
forth look for him somewhere else. 
To what place was he banished ? 
" The dragon, that old serpent, which 
is the Devil, and Satan, was cast, out 
into the earth, and his angels were 
cast out with him ;" xii. 9. He is, 
therefore, to be contemplated as ban- 
ished to the earth, and there the angel 
found him, as we perceive, in the 
verse before us. The scene is laid on 
the earth. The angel comes down 
from heaven to the earth, having the 
key of the bottomless pit, which shows 
that that pit was on the earth ; and 
he laid hold on "the dragon, that .old 
serpent, called the Devil, and Satan," 
xii, 9 ; xx. 2, whom he seems to have 
found on the earth, Which is the 
Devil, and Satan. — The dragon is 
called " that old serpent, which is the 
Devil, and Satan." These terms, from 
long abuse, suggest to many people's 
minds no idea but that of a fiend, not 
human, but fallen-angelic ; the head 
of the kingdom of darkness ; the 
almost-equal to God himself. It does 
not belong to a commentary on the 
Apocalypse to refute that error. It is 
sufficient to say here, that by the 
dragon, and the old serpent, and the 



Devil, and Satan, is meant the same 
thing. The names are put in appo- 
sition. They do not signify any par- 
ticular being, but the heathen oppos- 
ers of Christianity. The dragon was 
altogether a fabulous animal, believed 
perhaps by the ancients to have had 
a real existence. The prophets used 
the supposed animal as a metaphor to 
represent cruel and persecuting men, 
especially rulers. See Psa. lxxiv. 
13 : " Thou didst divide the sea by 
thy strength : thou breakest the heads 
of the dragons in the waters ;" an evi- 
dent reference to the destruction of 
Pharaoh and his hosts. We have 
shown in many instances that the 
revelator borrowed his imagery from 
the prophets. The serpent is used by 
the sacred writers as an emblem of 
craft and subtlety ; and hence we are 
told (Rev. xii. 9) that " the great 
dragon was cast out, that old serpent 
called the Devil, and Satan, which 
deceiveth the whole world." And all 
these terms, we repeat, signify the 
same thing. Not that all over the 
Bible they refer identically to the 
same individuals ; but that in the 
Apocalypse they refer to the leading 
heathen opposers of Christianity. We 
have shown, in the most conclusive 
manner, in our long note on xii. 9, that 
nowhere in all the Bible, leaving the 
Apocalypse out of the argument, does 
the metaphor of the dragon stand for 
anything beside human adversaries. 
The reader should turn back to that 
note, covering the 205th and 206th 
pages, and read it carefully. Now 
if in every other part of the Bible 
except the Apocalypse the metaphor 
stands for human adversaries only, 
why should it not be supposed it 
stands for human adversaries in that 
book ? Why should a different rule 
be adopted in applying the metaphor 
in the Apocalypse, from that which 
we adopt in regard to its application 
in every other part of the sacred 
writings in which it occurs ? The 
seven-headed beast of chap. xiii. is 



328 



REVELATION. 



is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years 

understood to signify earthly powers ; 
why should not the seven-headed 
dragon be understood as signifying 
earthly powers also ? On the suppo- 
sition that the. dragon signifies a 
superhuman adversary, what do his 
seven heads, andteii horns, and seven 
crowns, signify ? There is a signifi- 
cancy in these things if applied to the 
Roman Empire ; but none at all if 
applied to a superhuman adversary. 
Is it not apparent, that the dragon 
with seven heads and ten horns, and 
the beast with seven heads and ten 
horns, both signify one thing under 
different aspects 1 There is no reason 
for considering the dragon to repre- 
sent a superhuman adversary, that 
would not show that the beast also sig- 
nified such an adversary. Now all 
commentators allow that the seven- 
headed beast signified human adver- 
saries; and why should they then 
contend that the dragon signified 
anything else ? Do not their systems 
warp their judgments in this case ? 
But let us pass now to another point. 
Is it not evident that the dragon of 
the 12th chapter and the dragon of the 
20th chapter are the same thing? 
The Apocalypse has but one dragon. 
"We esteem it as certain that the 
dragon represents the same powers, 
in whatever part of the Apocalypse 
we find him mentioned. It would be 
exceedingly unwise to suppose that 
the dragon of the 12th chapter sig- 
nifies human adversaries, and the 
dragon of the 20th chapter something 
utterly different ; and this too without 
the slightest intimation to that effect 
from the revelator. And yet there 
are commentators who consider the 
dragon of the 12th chapter as signi- 
fying human adversaries, and the 
dragon of the 20th as signifying the 
devil of the popular creeds. We 
call this a remarkable inconsistency. 
There is no truth more apparent upon 
the face of the Apocalypse, than that 
the dragon signifies the same power 
throughout that book. Prof. Stuart 



is quite sure that the dragon signifies 
the diabolos of his own creed; and 
yet he says, in one place, that the 
dragon standing before the woman to 
devour her child as soon as it was 
born, (xii. 4,) " reminds us of Herod's 
attempt to massaere the infant Saviour 
at Bethlehem." He here intimates 
that the dragon represented a human 
adversary ; but he immediately atones 
for the admission by hinting that 
Herod " was moved to such a deed by 
the great adversary of Christianity.' 7 

— (Hints on Prophecy, 2d ed., p. 
119.) Bishop Newton supposed that 
the dragon of the 20th chapter signi- 
fied the devil qf the popular theology ; 
but the dragon of the 12th chapter, in 
his view, signified the Roman Em- 
pire. "For that the Roman Em- 
pire was here figured, the characters 
and attributes of the dragon plainly 
evince ;" — (Prophecies, p. 531 ;) and 
he goes on to show it in its partic- 
ulars. It is a wonderful inconsis- 
tency to suppose that the dragon rep- 
resented a human adversary in the 
one case, and in the other the devil 
of the popular theology. Sir Isaac 
Newton says : " The dragon signi- 
fies the same empire with Daniel's 
he-goat, in the reign of his last horn r 
that is, the whole Roman Empire." 

— (p. 315.) Mr. Lord says, in his 
recently published work on the Apoc- 
alypse, "that the great red dragon 
symbolizes the rulers of the Roman 
Empire;" — (p. 313, on xii. 1 — 6;) 
but when he comes to the 20th chap- 
ter, he tells us, that he is "the great 
fallen angel," "the great adversary 
of God and man who has seduced the 
nations." — (Exposition of the Apoc- 
afypse, by David N. Lord, 1847, p. 
514.) Such a method of interpreting 
the Scriptures is against all proper 
rule. Adam Clarke, the Methodist 
commentator, explains the dragon 
xii. 3 to signify "not the Roman 
Empire in general, but the heathen 
Roman Empire ;" and he is not very 
explicit in his notes on the 20th chap- 



CHAPTER XX. 



329 



3 And cast him into the bot- tomless pit, and shut him up, 



ter in regard to the devil, as if he 
was confident of the weight of the 
concession he had made in the words 
now quoted. But the editors of the 
Improved Version give a decidedly- 
satisfactory note, on xx. 1 — 3 : " The 
reader will remember that the whole 
of this is a visionary scene, which 
passed in the imagination of the 
writer; and by no means implies the 
real existence of any such monster or 
being as the dragon, that old serpent, 
which is the Devil, and Satan, which 
are only names to express and to per- 
sonify the hostile, idolatrous and per- 
secuting power." 

It has been alleged that the dragon 
must represent the devil of the popu- 
lar theology, because he is said to be 
"that old serpent," meaning the ser- 
pent that tempted Eve. But this is 
taking for granted that the serpent 
which tempted Eve meant a super- 
human tempter. Has that point ever 
been proved? The old serpent that 
tempted Eve was a deceiver ; and be is 
put metaphorically for the dragon, be- 
cause the dragon was also a deceiver ; 
he "deceived the whole world ;" xii. 
9. He is called the Devil, diabolos, as 
the accuser of the Christians, xii. 10, 
and Satan as their unrelenting adver- 
sary, for this is the proper significa- 
tion of these terms. And if any 
reliance be placed on the fact of the 
dragon being called the old serpent, 
the Devil, and Satan, to prove that he 
is a superhuman adversary, let it be 
remembered, that he is designated by 
these terms as forcibly and directly 
in the 12th chapter as in the 20th. 
See xii. 9 ; xx. 2. In Isaiah xxvii. 1, 
a human adversary is represented by 
both the serpent and the dragon : " In 
that day the Lord with his sore and 
great and strong sword shall punish 
leviathan the piercing serpent, even 
leviathan that crooked serpent ; and 
he shall slay the dragon that is in the 
sea." Perhaps the revelator had this 
passage in his mind. That the word 
devil stands for human adversaries, 
28* 



see John vi. 70, where Jesus calls 
Judas a devil; and Rev. ii. 10, where 
it is said, "the devil shall cast some 
of you into prison." See the long 
note on that place. Jesus surely 
called Peter a satan, or adversary ; 
Matt. xvi. 23. ^[ Thousand years. — 
This phrase we shall consider under 
the following verse. 

3. Cast him into the bottomless pit. 
— The pit here is to be understood 
solely as a metaphor. The revelator 
wished to represent the restraining 
of the dragon, and of course he must 
provide, in his imagery, some means 
of confinement. This imaginary pit 
is therefore introduced, and the angel 
with its key and the chain. The 
scene is all laid on the earth. The 
prison and the pit are continually 
used as metaphors in the Bible. 
" Bring my soul out of prison that I 
may praise thy name ;" Psa. xlii. 7. 
What prison was this ? We reply, 
it was a mere metaphor. See, also, 
the words of Isaiah : " I the Lord 
have called thee in righteousness, and 
will hold thy hand, and will keep 
thee, and give thee for a covenant of 
the people, for a light of the Gentiles : 
to open the blind eyes, to bring out 
the prisoners from the prison, and 
them that sit in darkness out of the 
prison-house ;" xlii. 6, 7. The prison 
here was merely a metaphor to repre- 
sent the state in which the Gentiles 
lay before the deliverance wrought 
out by the gospel reached them. The 
same metaphor precisely is found lxi. 
1: "The Spirit of the Lord God is 
upon me ; because the Lord hath 
anointed me to preach good tidings 
unto the meek ; he hath sent me to 
bind up the broken-hearted, to pro- 
claim liberty to the captives, and the 
opening of the prison to them that are 
bound." See, also, 1 Pet. iii. 19. 
The pit, in the 20th of Revelations, 
was no more a real pit, than the 
prison mentioned in these passages 
was a real prison. It was a meta- 
phor merely. The sacred writers 



330 REVEI 
and set a seal upon him, that he 

frequently speak of a pit metaphor- 
ically. David says: "He brought 
me up also out of a horrible pit, out 
of the miry clay, and set my feet upon 
a rock, and established my goings ;" 
Psa. xl. 2 ; i. e., he delivered me from 
difficulty and danger, and set me in 
safety and prosperity. What can be 
more plain than the meaning in this 
case? "The mouth of a strange 
woman is a deep pit ;" Prov. xxii. 
14 ; xxiii. 27. The haughty king of 
Babylon, who had exalted himself to 
heaven, and set his throne above the 
stars of God, was brought down to 
the ground, " to the sides of the pit 
Isa. xiv. 12 — 15. It is certain, then, 
that the prophets were accustomed to 
speak of the pit as a mere metaphor 
for degradation and restraint ; and 
this is precisely the sense the word is 
to bear in the case before us. The 
dragon had hitherto maintained do- 
minion ; bat a power had now come 
by which he was to be overthrown. 
He was to be cast down and restrained ; 
and this is all that is meant by 
his being cast into the bottomless pit 
and bound. When earthly powers 
have enjoyed a season of prosperity 
and triumph, they are said to have 
been " exalted unto heaven ;" so, when 
a reverse takes place, they are said 
to be "thrust down to hell;" Matt, 
xi. 23 ; Luke x. 15. And what is 
meant by Capernaum being cast down 
to hell, but the reverse of being ex- 
alted to heaven ? The exaltation 
was temporal prosperity, and the 
casting down was temporal degrada- 
tion. So the casting of the dragon 
into the bottomless pit was throwing 
him down from power, and bringing 
him into the reverse state from that 
which he had previously maintained. 

Shut him up, and set a seal upon him. 
— Thus we see that the power of the 
dragon was effectually restrained by 
Christianity for a time. The door of 
a pit, den, prison, or sepulchre, was 
sometimes sealed to prevent decep- 
tion. When once it was guarded in 



iTION. 

should deceive the nations no 



this manner, it could not be opened 
without its being known to the officer, 
who had marked it with his own 
seal. Thus we read, Dan. vi. 17 : 
"And a stone was brought, and laid 
upon the mouth of the den ; and the 
king sealed it with his own signet, 
and with the signet of his lords ; that 
the purpose might not be changed 
concerning Daniel." The Jews said 
to Pilate, " Command, therefore, that 
the sepulchre be made sure until the 
third day, lest his disciples come by 
night, and steal him away, and say 
unto the people, He is risen from the 
dead : so the last error shall be worse 
than the first. Pilate said unto them, 
Ye have a watch : go your way, 
make it as sure as ye can. So they 
went and made the sepulchre sure, 
sealing the stone, and setting a 
watch ;" Matt, xxvii. 64—66. f That 
he should deceive the nations no more. 
— This seems to have been his prin- 
cipal employment. Heathenism was 
a deceit. The heathen teachers be- 
guiled the people "through philoso- 
phy and vain deceit j" Col. ii. 8. In 
Paul's description of anti-Christ, he 
speaks of his coming as "after the 
working of Satan, with all power, and 
signs, and lying wonders ; and with 
all deceivableness of unrighteousness 
in them that perish;" 2 Thess. ii. 9, 
10. It is not a matter of wonder, 
then, that because of the dragon's 
confinement it is said, "he should 
deceive the nations no more." Stuart, 
the Professor at Andover, Mass., 
says, when treating on this subject, 
that the pit, or abyss, is not a place 
of endless punishment. "From the 
whole representation, here and else- 
where, it is plain that the abyss is not 
the place of final punishment, but 
only of temporary restraint or chas- 
tisement." — (Com. on the place.) 
If The thousand years. — There is 
some difficulty in determining what 
particular time is intended by the 
thousand years. The only aid fur- 
nished by the other sacred books in 



CHAPTER XX. 



331 



more, till the thousand years 
should be fulfilled; and after 

coming to a right understanding of 
this matter is, they seem to show 
that the number, a thousand, was 
used proverbially for many. Hence 
we read of a thousand generations 
for many generations, and one chas- 
ing a thousand for chasing many. 
Again, God says, " The cattle on 
a thousand hills are mine," where 
no one will pretend that the exact 
number of a thousand is intended. 
We read also, " A day in thy courts 
is better than a thousand," to which 
the same remark will apply. It will 
be remembered, that in determining 
what time was intended by the twelve 
hundred and sixty days, (Rev. xi. 3 ; 
xii. 6,) we maintained that all we 
could learn about it was, that it was 
the time of the church's depression 
and of the triumph of the Roman 
power. The thousand years, on the 
contrary, is the time of the church's 
prosperity, and of the dragon's re- 
straint. It is not probable that the 
exact number, a thousand, was in- 
tended. The season described was 
what would appear to men to be a 
long time, although in the eye of God 
it might be a very short time, for a 
thousand years in his sight are but as 
yesterday ; Psa, xc. 4. The two 
events which particularly distinguish 
the thousand years are the restrain- 
ing of the dragon, and the spiritual 
reign of the Christians (of whom the 
martyrs were made the representa- 
tives) with Christ upon the earth ; 
though it is not certain that the reign 
of the Christians was to close when 
the thousand years closed. Sir Isaac 
Newton supposed that what St. Peter 
said, about the thousand years, 2 Ep. 
ii. 4, he was led to say from what he 
had read in the Apocalypse ; and he 
believed for this, and many other 
reasons, that the Apocalypse was 
written before that epistle. — (p. 243.) 
We apprehend that the revelator bor- 
rowed his idea of the thousand yean 
from the Rabbins. Lightfoot says : 



that he must be loosed a little 

season. 

" The Jews counted the days of the 
Messias a thousand years. The 
Babylon Talmud doth show their full 
opinion about the days of the Mes- 
sias ; and amongst other things they 
say thus, as Aruch speaks their 
words : ' It is a tradition of the house 
of Elijah, that the righteous ones 
whom the blessed God shall raise 
from the dead, they shall no more 
return to the dust ; but those thou- 
sand years that the holy blessed God 
is to renew the world, he will give 
them wings as eagles, and they shall 
flee upon the waters.' The place in 
the Talmud is in Sanhedrim, fol. 92, 
where the text indeed hath not the 
word thousand, but the marginal gloss 
hath it, and shows how to understand 
the < thousand years.' And Aruch 
speaks it as a thing of undeniable 
knowledge and entertainment. And 
so speaks R. Eliezer, < The days of 
the Messias are a thousand years.' " 
— (Lightfoot's Works, Pitman's ed.. 
London, 1825, vol. iii.,' p. 361.) Obi 
serve the particulars of this tradition. 
During the thousand years, the right- 
eous were to revive and fall no more : 
they were to mount up with wings as 
eagles and flee over the waters. Are 
not these the facts which the reve- 
lator incorporates into that section 
of the Apocalypse which we are now 
considering ? Hence Lightfoot says : 
" John all along this book doth inti- 
mate new stories by remembering 
old ones ; and useth not only the Old 
Testament phrase to express them 
by, but much allusion to custom, 
languages, and opinion of the Jews, 
that he might speak, as it were, closer 
to them and nearer their apprehen- 
sions, — so doth he here and for- 
ward." — (Idem, 361.) John uses 
the traditions of the Jews, in regard 
to the prosperity of the kingdom of 
the Messias, to describe the coming 
prosperity of the church during the 
dragon's restraint. He speaks of it 
as a thousand years, not at all for the 



332 



REVELATION. 



4 And I saw thrones, and 
they sat upon them, and judg- 

purpose of describing the length of it, 
but because such had been the Rab- 
binical expression. % After that he 
must be loosed a little. — The dragon, 
or pagan power, was in the first place 
to be restrained ; after that it would 
be slightly revived; but it would be 
finally overthrown throughout the 
empire ; ver. 10. 

4. / saw. — Here the revelator be- 
gins a new subject. The previous 
verses refer to the restraint of the 
dragon ; — this verse refers to the 
martyrs as representatives of the 
faithful Christians, living and reign- 
ing with Christ. And here let it be 
observed, once for all, that this chap- 
ter is not to be regarded as a contin- 
uous narration in point of time. The 
revelator relates parallel occurrences, 
and not consecutive ones. From verses 
1 — 3, he describes a certain series 
of events. At verse 4, he goes back 
to first events, and traces another 
series, which is continued to the end 
of the 10th verse. At verse 11, he 
goes back again to first events At 
the first verse he says: "I saw an 
angel," &c. At verse 4, he goes 
back again to the same time, and 
commences in the same manner: "I 
saw thrones," &c. And at verse 11, 
we find him adopting anew the same 
form of speech, — "I saw a great 
white throne." These are not consec- 
utive but simultaneous occurrences. 
T[ Thrones. — What thrones were these 
the revelator saw? A throne is a 
place of power. The great white 
throne," mentioned verse 11, was the 
mediatorial throne. The faithful 
Christians (especially the martyrs, 
who surrendered up their lives for 
the truth, and who are therefore used 
as representatives of the faithful, who 
were ready to die for Christ) were to 
be honored by living and reigning 
with him upon the earth. This 
applies, let it be remembered, not 
only to the actual martyrs, but to all 
who loved the truth more than their 



ment was given unto them : and 
I saw the souls of them that 

lives, — all the faithful and persever- 
ing, who had the spirits of the mar- 
tyrs, and who had been redeemed by 
the blood of Christ, — these all lived 
and reigned with him on the earth. 
The thrones, therefore, were the sym- 
bols of the Christians reigning with 
Christ, cooperating with him, by their 
example and influence ; and this they 
did whether they had been slain or 
not ; for if they had been slain, they 
still lived among men by their exam- 
ples. Paul so lives, and reigns with 
Christ, on the earth, even to this day ; 
and so do all the early Christians, 
and the faithful everywhere, the 
knowledge of whom has reached us. 
The revelator drew his metaphor 
from Daniel vii. 9, 10, and especially 
22, 27. But more on this subject 
below. Let us proceed. See Rev. 
v. 9, 10: "For thou wast slain, and 
hast redeemed us to God by thy blood 
out of every kindred, and tongue, and 
people, and nation ; and hast made 
us unto our God kings and priests : 
and we shall reign on the earth.'' St. 
Paul said: "It is a faithful saying: 
For if we be dead with him, we shall 
also live with him : if we suffer, we 
shall also reign with him-;" 2 Tim. 
ii. 11, 12. The revelator, of course, 
as was his custom, puts these things 
into a much more metaphorical form. 
He says : " I saw thrones, and they 
sat upon them, and judgment [or the 
power of judging, or reigning] was 
given unto them." This agrees pre- 
cisely with what Jesus told his disci- 
ples before his death : "Verily, I say 
unto you, That ye which have fol- 
lowed me in the regeneration, when 
the Son of man shall sit in the throne 
of his glory, ye also shall sit upon 
twelve thrones, judging the twelve 
tribes of Israel," i. e., spiritual Israel ; 
Matt. xix. 28. It was in this way 
that the "saints" were to "judge the 
world;" 1 Cor. vi. 2. Hence Jesus 
said to the church at Thyatira : " And 
he that overcometh, and keepeth my 



CHAPTER XX. 



333 



were beheaded for the witness of 



works unto the end, to him will I give 
power over the nations : and he shall 
rale them with a rod of iron ; as the 
vessels of a potter shall they be bro- 
ken to shivers : even as I received of 
my Father;" Kev. ii. 26, 27. And 
again, to the church at Laodicea : 
" To him that overcometh will I grant 
to sit with me in my throne, even as 
I also overcame, and am set down 
with my Father in his throne ;" iii. 
21. The New Testament is full of 
these figures. The thrones which 
John saw were metaphorical, and so 
was the " great white throne/' men- 
tioned verse 11. The kingdom of 
Christ itself was not real and out- 
ward, but metaphorical and sp : rit- 
ual. IT And I saw the souls of them, 
&c. — We do not suppose that the 
revelator actually saw the souls, or 
spirits, of frhose who had been behead- 
ed; for a spirit cannot be seen. His 
meaning was, he saw that those who 
had been faithful amidst all the per- 
secutions, and had suffered death for 
the cause of Christ, were still, in an 
important sense, here on the earth. 
He saw their spirits here, invigorating 
their successors ; he saw the influ- 
ences of their lives ; he saw that these 
men, although absent in body, like 
their Master, (for he also had suffered 
martyrdom,) still remained on the 
earth, in precisely the same sense in 
which Jesus remained on the earth, 
although they were not so eminent as 
he ; and thus Jesus, (though absent,) 
and the martyrs who had been be- 
headed, lived and reigned on the earth. 
Christ lives and reigns on the earth 
now, and so do the martyrs, and 
every faithful Christian the knowl- 
edge of whom has reached us. How 
little is there of the good that can 
really die. Abel " being dead, yet 
speaketh Heb. xi. 4. The poet has 
forcibly expressed this idea on a 
slightly different subject : 

"They never fail, who die 
In a great cause; the block may soak their 
gore; 



and for the word of God, 



Their heads may sodden in the sun ; their limbs 
Be strung to city gates, and castle walls ; 
But still their spirit walks abroad. Though 
years 

Elapse, and others share as dark a doom, 
They but augment the deep and swelling 
thoughts 

Which overpower all others, and conduct 
The world, at last, to Freedom." 

Why should we be surprised, then, to 
hear John say, " I saw the souls of 
them that had been beheaded for the 
witness of Jesus?" This was his 
style. It was poetical. It, is not 
wise to find fault with the style, but 
to endeavor to appreciate and to un- 
derstand it. When it was thought by 
some, that the murderous spirit of the 
Jews, in destroying the early Chris- 
tians, remained too long unpunishjrtl, 
the revelator referred to the complaint 
in the following manner : " And when 
he had opened the fifth seal, I saw 
under the altar the souls of them that 
were slain for the word of God, and 
for the testimony which they held: 
And they cried with a ' loud voice, 
saying, How long, O Lord, holy and 
true, dost thou not judge and avenge 
our blood on them that dwell on the 
earth? And white robes were gi^en 
unto every one of them; and it was 
said unto them, that they should /est 
yet for a little season, until theii fel- 
low-servants also and their brethren, 
that should be killed as they were, 
should be fulfilled ;" vi. 9—1 1 . Such 
was the revelator's style. It was a 
bold prosopopeia, as when we read of 
the blood of Abel crying unto God 
from the ground ; Gen. iv. 10. % They 
lived and reigned with Christ. — And 
where does he reign ? We read, Rev. 
v. 10, — "Thou hast made us unto 
our God kings and priests : and we 
shall reign on the earth." Does Jesus 
reign on the earth ? Evidently . ' '• For 
judgment I am come into this world f 
John ix. 39. With a few additional hints 
we think the reader will be fully able 
to understand this verse. Observe, 
1st. There were two classes spoken 
of as living and reigning with Christ, 
— to wit, the Christians who had not 



334 



REVELATION. 



and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image 



yet passed away from the earth ; and 
the martyrs. The revelator refers to 
the first class in the following words : 
"And I saw thrones, and they sat 
upon them, and judgment (or the 
power to reign) was giyen unto 
them." These were the Christians 
who had not suffered death. They 
reigned with Christ on the earth ; for, 
although Christ had suffered death, 
he still remained, by his spirit, on the 
earth : he reigned here in the gospel 
kingdom, and the Christians reigned 
with him, as mentioned Matt. xix. 28, 
and Rev. v. 10. The other class who 
lived and reigned with Christ were 
the martyrs, who had been " beheaded 
for the witness of Jesus." But they 
did not reign personally. The reve- 
lator does not contemplate them as 
reigning personally. He does not 
speak of the form of their existence 
in the same manner in which he spoke 
of that of the others. Of the first he 
says, " I saw thrones, and they sat 
on them," as if speaking of persons 
on the earth ; but of the other class 
he says, "I saw the souls of them that 
were beheaded for the witness of Je- 
sus," as if they were not present in 
body, but in spirit. 2d. Let it be 
remembered, that Christ continued to 
reign on the earth, after his cruci- 
fixion, and after his ascension. He 
was not present in body, but in spirit ; 
and that is the same sense in which 
those who had been beheaded for 
bearing testimony of him were pres- 
ent. Jesus had all power in heaven 
and earth ; and he promised his dis- 
ciples that he would be with them 
alway, even unto the end of the world ; 
Matt, xxviii. 18—20. "Where two 
or three are gathered together in my 
name, there am I in the midst of 
them ;" Matt, xviii. 20 ; not surely in 
body, but in spirit. It is by the power 
of his spirit and his truth that he now 
reigns in the church on earth; for 
" he must reign until he hath put all 
enemies under his feet 1 Cor. xv. 
25. In the same sense in which he 



reigns, .all faithful Christians reign, 
whether living or dead ; only he reigns 
preeminently, like the shining of the 
sun ; and they secondarily, like the 
shining of the moon and planets. 
Christians who are now present on 
the earth do not reign by means of 
their bodies, but their spirits ; and in 
the same way Jesus and all the faith- 
ful army of Christians reign together. 
Take, for instance, Paul and John — 
or Clemens of Rome, or Polycarp, or 
Irenseus, or Clemens of Alexandria, 
or Origen — do not these now all 
reign in the church? Do they not 
exercise an influence over all the 
earth? No one will deny it. For, 
although not present in body, they 
live and reign on the earth with Jesus, 
who is not present in body any more 
than they. 3d. Observe that it is no 
new reign of Jesus which is men- 
tioned in the passage before us. 
There is but one reign of Christ, and 
that is the gospel reign, so to speak. 
What other reign of Christ is ever 
mentioned in the Bible? And this 
reign goes on, wherever or whenever 
the influence of the gospel is felt. 
When it is said of any, therefore, that 
they reign with Christ, it is because 
they are co-workers or co-sufferers 
with him ; for, " if we suffer with him, 
we shall also reign with him ;" 2 Tim. 
ii. 12. The beheaded martyrs lived 
on the earth by their spirits, and par- 
ticipated in the reign of Christ. Their 
spirits were seen in their successors. 
The revelator did not intend that they 
were raised from the dead bodily, and 
lived on the earth again in that form ; 
for the resurrection from the dead, in 
the literal sense, is never described in 
such terms as he here employs. 4th. 
The reign of Jesus was the same 
thing, substantially, as the binding of 
Satan. The triumph of the gospel 
brought down the powers of heathen- 
ism ; the descent of the New Jeru- 
salem crushed pagan Rome ; the reign 
of Jesus overthrew the reign of idols, 
of oppression, of deception, and of sin. 



CHAPTER XX. 



335 



neither had received his mark 
upon their foreheads, or in 
their hands ; and they lived and 

We may learn what was the reign of 
Jesus, and the reign of his faithful 
servants, dead and living, by con- 
sidering it as the opposite of the reign 
of the dragon. Hence, when the 
angel came down from heaven, hav- 
ing the key of the bottomless pit, and 
a great chain in his hand, and laid 
hold of the dragon, that old serpent, 
Which is the Devil, and Satan, and 
bound him for a season, then the 
reign of Christ prospered in the em- 
pire. Afterward, the dragon should 
be loosed a little season, and the power 
of the gospel should decline ; but still, 
subsequently, and at no very distant 
day from that of the revelator, the 
dragon would be utterly destroyed 
throughout the empire ; xx. 10 ; and 
then the gospel reign would go on in 
great glory ; 11 ; the nations would be 
judged by Christ's truth ; 12, 13 ; death 
and hell, and all the power of the ene- 
mies of the gospel, would be put down ; 
14, 15 ; and the holy city, New Jerusa- 
lem, or the kingdom of God, would 
come with power throughout the em- 
pire, as it had in Judea, at the over- 
throw of the city of Zion. [Those 
who wish to see the following phra- 
seology explained, " Worshipped the 
beast ; neither his image ; neither had 
received his mark upon their fore- 
heads, or in their hands," are referred 
to pp. 157—159, 216, 218, 227, 232, 
233, 260, 287, of this Commentary.] 
TT A thousand years. — See our re- 
marks on this phrase, under verse 3. 
The time is not to be understood 
strictly. It was called a " thousand 
years" from a tradition that had ex- 
isted among the Jews. See the quo- 
tation from Lightfoot under 3. It 
was the time of the dragon's restraint, 
and of the triumph of Christianity. 
Adam Clarke says, "It is not likely 
that the number a thousand years is 
to be taken literally here." And 
again, he adds, " The phraseology of 
the Apocalypse seems partly taken 



reigned with Christ a thousand 
years. 

5 But the rest of the dead 



from the ancient prophets, and partly 
Rabbinical, and it is from the Jewish 
use of those terms that we are to look 
for their interpretation." — (Com. on 
xx. 2.) 

5. Rest of the dead. — It is evident, 
from these words, that the revelator 
had been speaking of the dead ; and 
also of one section of the dead in con- 
tradistinction from the rest of them. 
He now wished to speak of the rest. 
What dead had he spoken of? Look 
back into the 4th verse. " I saw the 
souls of them that had been beheaded 
for the witness of Jesus, # # # 
they lived and reigned with Christ 
a thousand years." This was one 
part of the dead ; and they lived 
and reigned with Christ during the 
blessed state of the church called the 
thousand years. But the rest of the 
dead did not live until the time de- 
noted by the thousand years was 
finished. To find the previous men- 
tion of these, we must look back to 
the last verse of the preceding chap- 
ter, " And the remnant [or rest, oi 
loipoi, the same phrase as in the verse 
before us] were slain with the sword 
of him that sat on the horse, which 
sword proceeded out of his mouth ; 
and all the fowls were filled with their 
flesh ;" xix. 21. This was the rest of 
the dead. They had received the 
mark of the beast and worshipped his 
image ; xix. 20 ; but the other section 
of the dead had not worshipped the 
beast, neither his image, neither had 
received his mark ; xx. 4. The latter 
section lived and reigned with Christ 
a thousand years ; but the others, viz., 
the worshippers of the beast, "the 
remnant," or "the rest," lived not 
until the thousand years were finished. 
Thus we have seen that the first sec- 
tion of the dead, whom the revelator 
had named, were the martyrs — those 
who manifested such constancy and 
faith, and willingness to suffer in 
the cause of Christ, that it appeared to 



336 



REVELATION. 



lived not again until the thou- 
sand years were finished. This 
is the first resurrection. 

6 Blessed and holy is he 

the revelator's vivid imagination as 
though the martyrs were on the earth 
again — these were the first section 
of the dead. The " rest of the dead," 
xix. 21, were of that class who had 
not, up to that time, been delivered 
from the dominion of the dragon. 
They were of the class who worship- 
ped the beast and received his mark. 
Persons of this class, in the view of 
the revelator, would not be brought 
into the kingdom of Christ, until after 
the thousand years, when the dragon, 
released for a little season, would 
make his last efforts, and be entirely 
overthrown, to recover no more for- 
ever and ever. *ft This is the first 
resurrection. — What is ? Ans. The 
living and reigning with Christ during 
the thousand years. What else is 
there in the context for the pronoun 
this to refer to ? " And they lived 
and reigned with Christ a thousand 
years. But the rest of the dead lived 
not again, until the thousand years 
were finished. This [i. e., the living 
and reigning] is the first resurrec- 
tion." The first resurrection, then, 
answers to the first fruits. We have 
now, we believe, brought out the 
sense of this verse. The dead were 
divided, in the mind of the revelator, 
into two classes ; 1st, those who were 
slain with the sword of him that sat 
on the horse ; xix. 21 ; and, 2d, those 
who were beheaded for the witness 
of Jesus ; xx. 4. They were all con- 
templated by the revelator as dead. 
The latter class, who had obtained 
the victory over the beast, and over 
his image, were raised from the dead 
figuratively, and lived in their suc- 
cessors, and reigned with Christ. This 
spiritual resurrection was the first 
resurrection. 

6. First resurrection. — We have 
shown what was meant by the first 
resurrection — it was an early con- 
version to Christianity — a living and 



that hath part in the first res- 
urrection : on such the second 
death hath no power, but they 
shall be priests of God and of 

reigning with Christ during the thou- 
sand years. Blessed and holy was 
he who had part in the first resurrec- 
tion . Why ? Because on such the 
second death had no power ; but on 
the contrary, they should be " priests 
of God and of Christ, and should 
reign with him a thousand years." 

Second death. — Now, the second 
death, it will be seen, was the state 
that was in opposition to the living 
and reigning with Christ the thousand 
years. The first resurrection was the 
being raised to live and reign with 
Christ. As this was a resurrection, 
there must have been a previous state 
of death, which we may call the first 
death. Hence, then, the first death 
was a death in sin ; and it was by sin 
that death first entered into the world. 
Now, the second death was, continu- 
ing to remain in that state of death, 
after the first resurrection had taken 
place, as darkness appears to be the 
more profound when brought into 
contrast with light. It may signify, 
too, being plunged more deeply into 
that state of death, for the gospel was 
to some " the savor of death unto 
death 2 Cor. ii. 16 ; and so some 
who heard the voice of Christ, and 
were roused by it from their state of 
apathy, were not truly converted 
thereby, but came forth to " the resur- 
rection of damnation ;" John v. 29 ; 
viz., a greater damnation than they 
had suffered before. And Christ 
threatened such that they should re- 
ceive " the greater damnation ;" Matt, 
xxiii. 14. The second death may 
also signify the falling away of some 
who once embraced the truth, and re- 
turned, like the sow that was washed, 
to her wallowing in the mire ; 2 Peter 
ii. 22. The animal thus became a 
second time unclean. To this view 
of the subject, the phrase " second 
death" seems peculiarly applicable. 
But, in opposition to this, it may be 



CHAPTER XX. 



337 



Christ, and shall reign with him 
a thousand years. 

7 And when the thousand 



said, that on those who have partici- 
pated in the first resurrection, the 
second death hath no power. This 
is certainly not meant to include 
every individual who had participated 
in the first resurrection, for some of 
them did fall away, and were involved 
in all the judgments that came upon 
the enemies of the church. As a 
general rule it was true, that the 
second death had no power on such 
as had participated in the first resur- 
rection. They were priests of God 
and of Christ, and reigned with him ; 
still there were exceptions. But for 
further remarks on the second death, 
see ver. 14. 

7. Thousand years are expired. — 
The thousand years denoted the time 
of the dragon's restraint and of the un- 
interrupted prosperity of the church. 
We do not pretend to define the exact 
limit of it. We have shown, in 
another place, that the word thousand 
is proverbially used in the Bible for 
many ; but we are not sure this is 
the precise sense the phrase ought to 
bear in the Apocalypse. There was 
a tradition among the Jews, that the 
kingdom of the Messias would have 
a period of exceeding glory, which 
they called a thousand years. The 
term, therefore, came into the Apoca- 
lypse proverbially ; and must be so 
understood. The great fact taught 
by the revelator was, that the dragon 
was to be restrained for a season. 
His power had been great, and he 
had made full use of it to persecute 
the church. Many of the Christians 
had suffered death ; " they loved not 
their lives even unto the death;" xii. 
11. The dragon raged the more be- 
cause he knew his time was short ; 
xii. 12 ; and he made war, cruel war, 
against the church ; xii. 17. But he 
was to be restrained ; and while he 
was restrained, the church would 
progress again ; and men, just like 
29 



years are expired, Satan shall 
be loosed out of his prison. 
8 And shall go out to deceive 



the martyrs who had been slain, 
would rise up to reign with Christ, so 
that it would seem almost as though 
the martyrs were on the earth again. 
Such were the things that were to 
transpire during the time of the 
dragon's restraint, called the thousand 
years. St. Peter states, "that one 
day is with the Lord as a thousand 
years, and a thousand years as one 
day ;" 2 E pis. in. 8. He was warn- 
ing his brethren not to suppose that 
the Lord delayed his coming. He 
assured them the Lord was not slack 
concerning his promise ; and then, 
as though he feared they would put 
the second coming of Christ far away, 
on account of what they had heard 
or read about a thousand years, he 
seems to have intimated that this is 
not to be understood strictly ; for he 
says, with the Lord one day may be 
reckoned as a thousand years, and a 
thousand years as one day. We 
offer this as a mere suggestion. 

Shall be loosed out of his prison. — 
When the temporary prosperity of 
the church expired, Satan should be 
loosed out of his prison, but not for a 
long time. " He must be loosed a 
little season;" ver. 3. That all these 
things have reference to the events 
of this world, is made fully evident 
from the contents of the succeeding 
verse. 

8. Nations which are in the four 
quarters of the earth. — It seems, then, 
that this scene is laid on the earth. 
The nations " are in the four quarters 
of the earth," and are called G-og and 
Magog ; and the Devil, or Satan, or 
the dragon, (for we have shown that 
all these terms signify the same 
thing,) went out to deceive them, and 
to gather them together to battle, the 
number of whom is as the sand of 
the sea. ^[ Gog and Magog. — Who 
are intended by these mysterious 
terms? They were originally the 



338 



REVELATION. 



the nations which are in the 
four quarters of the earth, Gog 
and Magog, to gather them 
together to battle : the number 
of whom is as the sand of the 
sea. 



proper names of persons. Gog was 
one of the sons of Joel; 1 Chron. v. 
4 ; and Magog was one of the sons 
of Japheth ; Gen. x. 2. But Ezekiel 
seems to use these terms to signify 
the very numerous armies that made 
war against the children of Israel. 
See his prophecy, chaps, xxxviii. and 
xxxix. We interpret these terms on 
the same principles we applied to the 
term Armageddon. That was used 
metaphorically for a place of great 
slaughter, on account of certain cir- 
cumstances in its early history. So 
Gog and Magog, being terms applied 
by Ezekiel to the very numerous 
enemies of the house of Israel, are 
here used metaphorically to signify 
the very numerous enemies that the 
dragon, the leading powers of heath- 
enism, brought against the church 
of Christ. The battle of Gog and 
Magog against the church is to be 
understood in a similar sense with 
the battle of the forces of the dragon 
against Christianity, mentioned in 
former parts of the Apocalypse. See 
xvi. 14, where we are told that the 
kings of the earth and the whole 
world are gathered together to the 
battle of that great day of God Al- 
mighty. It was a spiritual contest, 
for which war, in the usual sense, 
often stands as a metaphor. ^[ As 
the sand of the sea. — The terms Gog 
and Magog convey two distinct ideas, 
viz., 1st, that of enemies ; and 2d, an 
immense number of them ; and hence 
it is said in the verse before us, "the 
number of whom is as the sand of 
the sea." Gog and Magog certainly 
stand in the verse before us, for the 
nations who were in the four quarters 
of the earth, the number of whom 
was immense, and who made war on 



9 And they went up on the 
breadth of the earth, and com- 
passed the camp of the saints 
about, and the beloved city : and 
fire came down from God out 
of heaven, and devoured them. 



the church. See Ezek. xxxviii. 9, 
14—16. 

9. Compassed the camp. — They 
spread themselves widely ; they sur- 
rounded the camp of the saints. This 
is highly metaphorical. The opposi- 
tion of heathenism to Christianity is 
represented under the metaphor of the 
seige of a city. The city was the 
beloved city, the new Jerusalem. 
What other city can we call the camp 
of the saints ? But the enemies could 
not succeed against it. % Fire came 
down from God out of heaven. — God 
suddenly discomfited them, which is 
represented by fire coming down out 
of heaven to destroy them. This 
metaphor of fire coming down from 
heaven was employed, because God 
had, in olden time, employed such 
means to overthrow wicked men and 
cities. He rained fire and hail upon 
the land of Egypt ; Gen. ix. 23 ; Psa. 
cv. 32. So he destroyed Nadab and 
Abihu ; Lev. x. 2. The prophets of 
Baal were discomfited by fire from 
the Lord out of heaven ; 1 Kings 
xviii. 38. At the call of Elijah, fire 
came down from heaven, and cop- 
sumed those who were sent to take 
him | 2 Kings i. 10, 12. These facts 
were well remembered by the Jews. 
When Jesus sent his disciples to 
the Samaritan village, and they be- 
came incensed against the inhabit- 
ants, they said: " Wilt thou that we 
command fire to come down from 
heaven and consume them, even as 
Elias did?" Luke ix. 54 ; for which 
their Lord rebuked them. Fire from 
God out of heaven became a meta- 
phor for sudden destruction or over- 
throw. The revelator continually 
borrowed his images from the Old 
Testament, and from the sacred his- 



10 And the devil that de- 



tory and traditions of the Jews ; as 
Lightfoot says, (when speaking of 
Gog and Magog,; "From old stories 
and copies of great troubles, John 
transcribeth new, using known terms 
from Scripture, and from the Jews 
language and notions, that he might 
the better be understood." — (Works, 
iii. 365.) And let it be here re- 
marked, that they would much more 
readily understand the revelator's 
style than we should. 

10. And the devil. — The devil here 
does not intend any fallen angelic 
being, or any different order from 
that of the human race. We have 
shown conclusively,- that " the dragon, 
that old serpent, which is the Devil 
and Satan," signified the heathen 
enemies of Christianity ; and it cannot 
be denied, that all those terms signify 
the same thing. The devil, therefore, 
signifies the human enemies of Chris- 
tianity, as we have shown in another 
case, under Rev. ii. 10. It is sup- 
posed, by some interpreters, that the 
devil here must signify the angelic 
apostate of the popular theology, be- 
cause the word stands alone — ho 
diabolos. Even as sound an inter- 
preter as Dr. Campbell intimates, that 
where ho diabolos occurs, the devil 
of the dominant creeds, the fallen- 
angelic spirit, is intended. This 
statement, however, is not to be relied 
on ; for in ii. 10 we read : " The 
devil shall cast some of you into 
prison," where clearly the human 
adversaries of Christianity are re- 
ferred to, and yet the Greek phrase is 
ho diabolos. The devil in the verse 
we are considering is the same power 
mentioned in ver. 2, and there called 
" the dragon, that old serpent, which 
is the Devil and Satan." These 
names all represent the same power. 
The being by which that power was 
represented appears first in xii. 3, 4, 
7, 9 ; he was cast down from the sky, 
where he was seen to have a battle 
with Michael, a metaphorical repre- 
sentation of the contest between the 



ER XX. 339 
ceived them was cast into the 



heathen and Christian powers ; 8, 9 -, 
he was the figure of the persecuting 
power; 13, 17; his associates, the 
beast and the false prophet, were cast 
into the lake of fire ; xix. 20 ; the 
dragon, or devil, was seized and 
bound for a season; xx. 1 — 3; when 
this season had expired, he was let 
out of his prison ; ver. 7 ; he began 
again to deceive the nations, and 
stirred up Gog and Magog to battle 
against the saints ; and lastly and 
principally he, — " the dragon, that 
old serpent, which is the Devil and 
Satan," — was seized and cast into 
the lake of fire and brimstone. Now 
it would at once be obvious to all 
men, were it not for the blinding influ- 
ence of their creeds, that it is the 
same power which is mentioned in 
all the places here referred to. The 
Apocalypse has but one dragon. If 
the dragon mentioned in chap, xii., 
with seven heads and ten horns, rep- 
resented the Roman heathen perse- 
cuting power, so does it represent the 
same thing, and nothing else, in the 
case before us. Those, therefore, 
who interpret it to signify a fallen- 
angelic being, engraft the fancies and 
traditions of men upon the word of 
God, — a practice that has been too 
long followed, and that we ought by 
all means to resist. In our note on 
xii. 9, we have showed at length, that 
the dragon is certainly used in no 
place, in all the Bible, as a metaphor 
for any enemies but human enemies ; 
and if it signify anything else in the 
Apocalypse, it is a departure from 
the otherwise universal scriptural use. 
Let those who maintain that the 
dragon of the Apocalypse signifies a 
superhuman adversary, point us to 
a single passage, in any other part 
of the Bible, where they can even set 
up a pretence that any other than a 
human adversary is intended. We 
refer also to our note on xx. 2. 
IT That deceived them. — The power 
represented by the dragon, or devil, 
was indeed a deceiver, and for this 



340 



REVELATION. 



lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet, 



reason it was called " the old serpent," 
as it was the serpent that was em- 
ployed as a metaphor of the power 
that deceived Eve. The dragon 
deceived the whole world ; xii. 9 ; 
xx. 8. The beast also, and the false 
prophet, were great deceivers ; xiii. 
14; xviii. 23; xix. 20; xx. 3, 8. 

Was cast into the lake of fire and 
brimstone. — First of all, let the reader 
not fail to turn to the notes on xiv. 
10, and xix. 20, and read what is 
there written. We have treated of 
the origin of this metaphor in the 
remarks on the passages last men- 
tioned. It was drawn from the de- 
struction of Sodom and Gomorrah. 
It was used by the sacred writers to 
signify a thorough and irreparable 
destruction. The heathen leaders 
were to be utterly overthrown and 
destroyed. Many have supposed that 
the lake of fire and brimstone denoted 
a place of endless punishment in the 
future state. But there is an entire 
absence of proof of such a position. 
It is clearly an assumption, without 
the slightest evidence. Here we find 
an account of a contest between x the 
heathen powers on the one side, and 
Christianity on the other. It was 
carried on upon the earth. The met- 
aphors all show this. The devil is 
not said to be slain ; but like the 
beast and the false prophet, xix. 20, 
he is cast alive into the lake of fire 
and brimstone. Now, we ask, under 
this view of the subject, how can it be 
made to appear congruous with the 
plan of the chapter, to suppose that 
what was intended by the metaphor 
of the lake of fire is not upon the 
earth? The beast and the false 
prophet had been previously cast into 
this lake of fire i. e., they had been 
previously crushed and punished. 
The dragon himself is now to be 
effectually put down to rise no more, 
throughout the empire ; and it is 
metaphorically represented by his 
being cast into a lake of fire and 
brimstone. Heathenism is as effect- 



ually destroyed from that part of the 
world which formed the Roman Em- 
pire as Sodom and Gomorrah. Noth- 
ing remains of it but the smoke of its 
ruins. "Were not Sodom and Gomor- 
rah destroyed by fire and brimstone 
from the Lord out of heaven ? Have 
we not shown that fire is one of the 
most common figures which the 
sacred writers employ to represent 
the judgments of God in this life? 
Nothing is susceptible of clearer 
proof than this. See Psa. lxvi. 12 : 
lxxxiii. 14; xcvii. 3; Isaiah ix. 19; 
xliv. 15, 16; Jer. iv. 4; xxi. 12; 
xlviii. 45 ; Lam. ii. 3, 4 ; Ezk. xxi. 
31 ; xxii. 18 — 22, and a host of others, 
that we have not room to quote. 

But it is supposed, by many, that 
punishment by fire and brimstone must 
surely belong to the future state. 
Let such examine the following pas- 
sages, and they will see that "fire 
and brimstone " are terms frequently 
employed to describe the judgments 
of God in this present life : Gen. xix. 
24 ; Deut. xxix. 23 ; Job xviii. 15 ; 
Psa. xi. 6 ; Isaiah xxx. 33 : xxxiv. 9, 
10; Ezk. xxxviii. 22 ; Luke xvii.29. 
% Where the beast and false prophet 
are. — We have already shown that 
they were both cast alive into a lake 
of fire burning with brimstone. See 
our remarks on xix. 20. % Tor- 
mented day and night. — Where, in all 
the Bible, are these terms to be found 
applied to the future state ? We are 
told by Moses: "While the earth 
remaineth, seed time and harvest, 
and cold and heat, and summer and 
winter, and day and night, shall not 
cease ;" Gen. viii. 22. But we could 
not expect the continuance of day and 
night should the earth cease to re- 
main. And as the punishment of the 
devil, or dragon, in the lake of fire 
and brimstone, is to continue day and 
night, it must be on the earth, where 
day and night interchange. The 
heathen power was to be totally put 
down, and destroyed. By day or by 
night it was the same ; it should rise 



CHAPTER XX. 



341 



are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever. 



no more, Forever and ever. — We 
have largely considered this phrase in 
our note on xiv. 11. See, also, xix. 3. 
As much stress is laid on these words, 
we offer the following additional ob- 
servations, which we are sensible 
involve some of the facts before stated. 
The words, forever and ever, of them- 
selves, furnish no proof of strictly 
endless duration ; they are, in the 
Scriptures, applied again and again 
to temporal things. We will adduce 
a few passages. "Now go, write it 
before them in a table, and note it in 
a book ; that it may be for the time to 
come, forever and ever ;" Isa. xxx. 8. 
The destruction of Idumea is thus 
described : " It is the day of the Lord's 
vengeance, and the year of recom- 
pense for the controversy of Zion. 
And the streams thereof shall be 
turned into pitch, and the dust thereof 
into brimstone, and the land thereof 
shall become burning pitch. It shall 
not be quenched night nor day ; the 
smoke thereof shall go up forever ; 
from generation to generation it shall 
lie waste ; none shah pass through it 
forever and ever ;" Isa. xxxiv. 8 — 10. 
There can be no doubt that the pun- 
ishments here described were tempo- 
ral punishments ; and yet they are 
described in almost the precise terms 
that occur in the case before us. Let 
the reader also consult Jer. vii. 1 — 7. 
The 7th verse is, " Then will I cause 
you to dwell in this place, in the land 
that I gave to your fathers, forever 
and ever." See, also, Jeremiah xxv. 
5 : " Turn ye again now every one 
from his evil way, and from the evil 
of your doings, and dwell in the land 
that the Lord hath given unto you, 
and to your fathers, forever and ever." 
This being the last time, in the course 
of our Commentary, that we shall be 
called on to notice these terms as 
applied to the duration of punishment, 
we give, in conclusion, the following 
authorities and facts. Prof. Stuart 
says, " The word translated everlasting 
is sometimes applied (as in common 
29* 



life) to things which endure for a 
long time, for an indefinite period. 
So it is applied to the Jewish priest- 
hood ; to the Mosaic ordinances ; to 
the possession of the land of Canaan ; 
to the hills and mountains ; to the 
earth ; to the time of service to be 
rendered by a slave ; and to some 
other things of a like nature." — (Ez- 
eget. Essays. Andover, 1830, p. 50.) 
Professor Robinson, of the Andover 
Institution, said, in his edition of Cal- 
met, on the words "Eternal, Eternity : 
These words often signify a very long 
time, and therefore must not always 
be understood literally ; so we find 
'eternal mountains,' to denote their 
antiquity ; Gen. xlix. 26 ; Deut. xxxiii. 
15. God promises to David an eter- 
nal kingdom and posterity ; that is, 
his and his son's empire would be of 
long duration." — (Robinson's Calmet. 
Boston, 1832 : p. 397.) "The words 
eternal, everlasting, forever, [says Cru- 
den,] are sometimes taken for a long 
time, and are not always to be under- 
stood strictly ; for example, it is said, 
Gen. xvii. 8 : 'I will give to thee, and 
to thy seed, the land of Canaan for 
an everlasting possession.' And in 
chap. xiii. 15 : 'I will give it to thee 
and to thy seed forever that is, for 
a long space of time. And in Gen. 
xlix. 36, we find everlasting hills, so 
called to denote their antiquity, sta- 
bility and duration ; and this expres- 
sion is used to show the long con- 
tinuance and durableness of Joseph's 
blessing. God promises a throne to 
David, an eternal kingdom, a poster- 
ity that will never be extinguished ; 
that is, that his and his son's empire 
will be of very long duration ; 2 Sam. 
vii. 16 ; 1 Chron. xvii. 14. Thus, 
thou shalt be our guide from this time 
forth, even forever, that is, during our 
whole life. And in many other 
places of Scripture, and in particular 
where the word forever is applied to 
the Jewish rites and privileges, it 
commonly signifies no more than 
during the standing of that common- 



342 



REVELATION. 



11 And I saw a great white throne, and hint that sat on it, 



wealth, or until the coming of the 
Messiah." — (See his Concordance on 
the word Eternal.) Hear the learned 
Whitby, also, on this point: " Nor is 
there anything more common and 
familiar in Scripture, than to represent 
a thorough and irreparable destruc- 
tion, whose effects and signs shall be 
still remaining, by the word aionios, 
which we render eternal ; * * * 
and this specially is threatened where 
the destruction of a nation or people 
is likened to the overthrow of Sodom 
and Gomorrah." — (Com. on Jude 7.) 
Observe, that there is nothing more 
common than to find the word eternal, 
and the concomitant expressions, used 
in a limited sense ; and this is true 
particularly where the punishment is 
likened to the overthrow of Sodom and 
Gomorrah. We close with the follow- 
ing quotations, which we find in a 
note on the passage before us, in the 
Improved Version : " Forever and ever ; 
Greek, ages of ages. This text has 
also been alleged, but with little rea- 
son, in favor of what has justly been 
called, the heart-withering doctrine of 
eternal torments. See ch. xiv. 11, 
and the note there. The persons who 
are here said to be tormented forever 
and ever, are not real, but figurative 
and symbolical persons, the devil, the 
beast, and the false prophet. The 
place, therefore, the kind, and the 
duration of their torment, must also 
be figurative. The meaning seems 
to be, that all the corruptions of the 
Christian religion, as well as all hea- 
then idolatry, and the spirit of perse- 
cution, shall be totally and forever 
exterminated ■ and pure and unde- 
filed Christianity, in its spirit and in 
its power, shall everywhere prevail, 
and produce universal peace, and 
harmony, and happiness. This is the 
true advent of Christ ; and to the 
promise of his speedy appearance for 
these glorious purposes, what benevo- 
lent heart can refuse to adopt the 
response of the prophet, — Amen, 
Come, Lord Jesus!" (Ch. xxii. 20.) 



We shall now bring forward several 
passages of Scripture to prove what 
we allege, and what these critics have 
conceded, viz., that the words are used 
in a limited sense. And, 1. Ever. — 
Lev. vi. 13 : " The fire shall ever be 
burning on the altar." John xviii. 
20 : " I ever taught in the synagogue 
and temple." 2. Forever. — Gen. 
xiii. 15 : "For all the land which thou 
seest, to thee will I give it, and to 
thy seed forever ." Exod. xii. 14 : 
" You shall keep it (the passover) a 
feast by an ordinance forever." Lev. 
xxv. 46 : "They shall be your bond- 
men forever ft spoken of the Jewish 
slaves. Jonah declares, when swal- 
lowed by the fish, " I went down to 
the bottoms of the mountains ; the 
earth, with her bars, was about me 
forever ; yet hast thou brought up my 
life from corruption, Lord my 
God;" Jonah ii. 6. Here forever sig- 
nified the time of Jonah's remaining 
in the fish's belly. Philemon 15 : 
"That thou shouldst receive him 
(Onesimus) forever.'''' 3. Everlast- 
ing. — Gen. xvii. 8 ; xlviii. 4 : "I will 
give thee the land of Canaan for an 
everlasting possession." Gen. xlix. 
26 : " The utmost bound of the ever- 
lasting hills." Exod. xl. 15 ; Num. 
xxv. 13 : " An everlasting priesthood." 
Lev. xvi. 34: "An everlasting stat- 
ute." Hab. iii. 6 : " The everlasting 
mountains were scattered." Now, as 
it regards these words, it makes no 
difference how often they are used in 
an unlimited sense, though they are 
used much less frequently in that 
sense than is generally supposed. 
If they are sometimes used in a limited 
sense, it is enough for our argument ; 
it shows that the mere force of the 
word cannot be depended upon to 
prove the endless duration of punish- 
ment. We have now closed up all 
that is to be said of "the dragon, that 
old serpent, which is the Devil and 
Satan," the metaphor of the heathen 
persecuting power, of whom we shall 
hear no more in the Apocalypse. 



CHAPTER XX. 



343 



from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away ; and there 



These four terms signify the same 
power, in the third section of that 
book, whether used separately or con- 
jointly. If, after all, any persons 
think that the fallen angelic diabolos 
is intended, let them remember that 
he is cast into the lake of fire, and is 
as utterly destroyed as were Sodom 
and Gomorrah, or the power of hea- 
thenism in that part of the world for- 
merly embraced in the Roman empire. 

FOURTH DIVISION OF THE APOCALYPSE. 

Preliminary Observations. — We have 
now come to what we call the fourth 
great division of the Apocalypse. 
These divisions are made with refer- 
ence to what we regard as the true 
sense of the book. 

1. The first division, extending to 
the end of the third chapter, embraces 
the revelator's introduction, and his 
epistles to the seven churches of Asia. 

2. The second, extending from the 
commencement of the fourth chapter 
to the end of the eleventh, describes 
the tumults and trials of the Jews, 
and the downfall of Judaism. 

3. The third, extending from the 
commencement of the twelfth chap- 
ter to the end of the tenth verse of 
the twentieth chapter, sets forth the 
opposition of heathenism to Chris- 
tianity, and its final overthrow. It is 
unfortunate that a division of the 
chapters was not made at this place. 

4. The fourth division treats lef 
Christ ascending the mediatorial 
throne, and of the introduction and 
final prevalence of the Gospel in the 
world. Of course, it is the latter sub- 
ject we are now to take up. 

11. I saw a great white throne. — 
Having exhorted the churches to con- 
stancy and faithfulness, by showing 
the downfall both of Judaism and 
heathenism, the revelator comes now 
still further to confirm them, by 
showing the spread and triumph of 
the Gospel. He goes back in his 
reflections to the establishment of the 
mediatorial kingdom. 11 1 saw a great 



white throne." The gospel shall 
triumph ; Jesus was appointed to 
reign over the nations. By this 
" great white throne" is unquestion- 
ably intended the mediatorial throne. 
It is not a real, but an ideal throne, 
like the " thrones" mentioned in the 
4th verse, and like the " holy city 
New Jerusalem" coming down from 
God out of heaven. This city had 
" a wall great and high," and " twelve 
gates," and at the gates twelve angels ; 
and the length and the breadth of it 
were equal, each twelve thousand 
furlongs ; xxi. 12 — 16. Does any one 
suppose that this is to be understood 
in the literal sense? Does anyone 
suppose that such a city actually de- 
scended from God out of heaven ? 
It was not a real, but an imaginary 
city. The ancient Jerusalem being 
very beautiful in the eyes of the Jews, 
and being associated with all that was 
holy in the Jewish religion, the Jew- 
ish Christians represented the descent 
of the Gospel as the descent of another 
Jerusalem, a new Jerusalem, more 
beautiful than the former. So, in the 
ideal which the ancient Jews had of 
the dwelling-place of God, they pic- 
tured the Holy One as sitting on a 
throne. In their first conceptions, 
these views were indistinct and shad- 
owy, like a vision. See the follow- 
ing passages : " And above the firma- 
ment that was over their heads was 
the likeness of a throne, as the ap- 
pearance of a sapphire-stone ; and 
upon the likeness of the throne was 
a likeness as the appearance of a man 
above upon it ;" Ezk. i. 26. Again : 
" Then I looked, and, behold, in the 
firmament that was above the head 
of the cherubims there appeared over 
them as it were a sapphire-stone, as 
the appearance of the likeness of a 
throne;" Ezk. x. 1. When, there- 
fore, the Lord Jesus was appointed to 
reign as the spiritual ruler among the 
nations, nothing was more natural 
than to represent him as sitting on a 
throne. It is a very appropriate and 



344 REYEI 

was found no place for them. 



beautiful metaphor. As in the an- 
cient city of Jerusalem, " there were 
set thrones of judgment, the thrones 
of the house of David ;" Psa. cxxii. 5 ; 
so in the holy city New Jerusalem, 
there are also " thrones of judgment." 
The principal one is the " great white 
throne" of the Mediator. The throne 
denotes the power of the Lord Jesus 
to reign. It is said to be great because 
" all power in heaven and on earth 
was given to him ;" Matt, xxviii. 18 ; 
and it is said to be white to show its 
spotless purity and justice, Tf And 
him that sat on it. — This was the Son 
of man. See Matt. xxv. 31 ; Dan. vii. 
13, 14. It is here very proper to in- 
quire, when did the Son of man assume 
this throne? We answer, it was 
when he commenced to reign as King 
in Zion, or as Mediator. His course 
as Mediator and Saviour is compared 
to a reign which is to continue until 
all enemies are subdued unto him ; 
1 Cor. xv. 25—28. But when did this 
reign begin ? We reply, it begun 
when the kingdom of God came with 
power at the destruction of the Jewish 
state. Jesus refers to this in the fol- 
lowing w r ords : "Verily, I say unto 
you, That 5 r e which have followed me 
in the regeneration, when the Son of 
man shall sit in the throne of his glory, 
ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, 
judging the twelve tribes of Israel ;" 
Matt. xix. 28. But we still press the 
question, when did this reign begin ? 
Observe the following words of Christ : 
" When the Son of man shall come in 
his glory, and all the holy angels 
with him, then shall he sit upon the 
throne of his glory ;" Matt. xxv. 31. 
When did the Son of man come in 
his glory? This is a question very 
easily answered. Our Lord himself 
has answered it : " For the Son of 
man shall come in the glory of his 
Father, with his angels : and then 
shall he reward every man according 
to his works. Verily I say unto you, 
There be some standing here, which 
shall not taste of death, till they see the 



12 And I saw the dead, 



Son of man coming in his kingdom 
Matt. xvi. 27, 28. Here the Saviour 
explicitly states, that there were some 
standing before him, and listening to 
his words, who should not die before 
his coming in his glory should take 
place. The reader who wishes to be 
very critical may also consult Matt, 
viii. 38 ; ix. 1 ; Luke ix. 26, 27. We 
esteem it, then, to be fully settled, 
that '-'the great white throne" was 
set up at the time the kingdom of God 
came with power at the destruction 
of the Jewish state, and when Jesus 
commenced to reign in the gospel. 
If From whose face the earth and the 
heaven fled away. — The objector may 
think this fatal to our vieAvs, because 
the earth and heaven remain to our 
time, and have not fled away. But, 
in fact, the very circumstance that 
heaven and earth were said to flee 
away at the commencement of the 
Messiah's reign is a confirmation of 
our opinion, for the earth and heaven 
did flee away at the time of the de- 
struction of the Jewish state, and of 
the permanent establishment of the 
gospel, in the sense intended by the 
revelator. And this fact we now 
proceed to prove. Nothing is more 
certain than that it was the custom 
of the Jewish prophets to represent 
political commotions, the rise and fall 
of rulers, cities, and bodies politic and 
sacred, under the figure of commo- 
tiens in the heavenly bodies. We 
might give a multitude of learned 
authorities in confirmation of this 
point, but we content ourselves with 
one only, viz., that celebrated Ortho- 
dox divine, and truly learned man in 
all Biblical knowledge, Dr. Lightfoot. 
He said: "The destruction of Jeru- 
salem and the whole Jewish state is 
described as if the whole frame of 
this world were to be dissolved. Nor 
is it strange, when God destroyed his 
habitation and city, places once so 
dear to him, with so direful and sad 
an overthrow ; his own people, whom 
he accounted of as much or more 



CHAP! 

small and great, stand before 



than the whole world beside, by 
so dreadful and amazing plagues. 
(Matt, xxiv. 29, 30,) 'The sun shall 
be darkened,' &c. ' Then shall appear 
the sign of the Son of man,' &c. ; 
which yet are said to fall out within 
that generation ; (ver. 34 ; 2 Peter iii. 
10.) 'The heavens shall pass away 
with a great noise, and the elements 
shall melt with fervent heat,' &c. 
Compare with this, Deut. xxxii. 22 ; 
Heb. xii. 26 ; and observe that by 
elements are understood the Mosaic 
elements, (Gal. iv. 9; Col. ii. 20,) 
and you will not doubt that St. Peter 
speaks only of the conflagration of 
Jerusalem, the destruction of the na- 
tion, and the abolishing the dispen- 
sation of Moses. Rev. vi. 12, 13 : 
' The sun became black as sackcloth 
of hair,' &c, ' and the heavens de- 
parted as a scroll when it is rolled 
together,' &c. Where, if we take 
notice of the foregoing plagues, by 
which, according to the most frequent 
threatenings, he destroyed that people, 
viz., the sword, (ver. 4,) — famine, 
(vers. 5, 6,) — and the plague, (ver. 
8 ;) — withal comparing those words, 
' They say to the mountains, Fall on 
us, and cover us,' with Luke xxiii. 
30; — it will sufficiently appear that 
by those phrases is understood the 
dreadful judgment and overthrow of 
that nation and city. With these 
also agrees that of Jer. iv., from ver. 
22 to 28, and clearly enough explains 
this phrase. To this appertain those 
and other such expressions as we 
meet with; (1 Cor. x. 11.) < On us 
the ends of the world are come ;' and 
(1 Peter iv. 7) 1 The end of all things is 
at hand.' "—(See Lightfoot's Works, 
Pitman's Edition : London, 1825 : iii. 
184, 314, 315, 320, 327; vi. 293; xi. 
303, 304, 404.) 

In addition, examine Isa. xiii. 13; 
xxiv. 4 ; xxxiv. 4 ; Ezk. xxxii. 7, 8 ; 
Joel ii. 30, 31 ; compare Acts ii. 
16—21 ; Matt. xxiv. 29 ; Mark xiii. 
24—26; Luke xxi. 25; 2 Peter iii. 
10 — 12. We repeat, nothing is more 



ER XX. 345 

God ; and the books were 



certain than that it was the custom 
of the Jewish prophets to repre- 
sent political commotions and great 
changes in rulers, states and systems, 
by the metaphor of changes in the 
heavenly bodies. And we may add, 
such was also the custom of the New 
Testament writers, borrowed from the 
ancient prophets, as the passages 
quoted above from that work clearly 
show. When, therefore, it is said 
that the earth and heaven fled away 
at the time of the establishment of 
"the great white throne," the mean- 
ing is, that the nations were moved ; 
the Jewish people, as a body politic, 
entirely passed away; the Mosaic 
religion was superseded, and fled into 
oblivion, before the coming of the 
gospel. And we shall find, when we 
come to the commencement of the 
21st chapter, that the introduction of 
the gospel is described as the appear- 
ance of " a new heaven and new 
earth." If the new heaven and new 
earth represent the new gospel king- 
dom, the passing away of the old 
heaven and earth represented the 
passing away of the former dispensa- 
tion. ^[ There was found no place for 
them. — And why not? The language 
here has an allusion to the metaphor 
of the prophet Daniel : " Then was* 
the iron, the clay, the brass, the sil- 
ver, and the gold, broken to pieces 
together, and became like the chaff 
of the summer threshing-floors ; and 
the wind carried them away, that no 
place was found for them : and "the 
stone that smote the image became a 
great mountain, and filled the whole 
earth;" ii. 35. That image repre- 
sented the Roman kingdom in the 
time when (Dan. ii. 44) the kingdom 
of* God was set up. The latter, or 
heavenly kingdom, not formed by 
human aid, was represented by the 
stone cut out of the mountain without 
hands, (Dan. ii. 34,) which ultimately 
" became a great mountain, and filled 
the whole earth." If it filled the whole 
earth, no place could possibly be 



346 REVEI 

opened : and another book was 



found for any contrary system. We 
do not desire to interpret these things 
too strictly, nor to make too much of 
what may appear to some a minor 
circumstance ; but we have no doubt 
the revelator had his mental eye on 
this metaphor of Daniel. Observe 
again Daniel's words : " The wind 
carried them [i. e., the broken ele- 
ments of the earthly kingdoms] away, 
that no place was found for them ; and 
the stone that smote the image became 
a great mountain, and filled the whole 
earth." The revelator's language, 
then, is very appropriate, under our 
view of the subject. He was describ- 
ing the ascent of Jesus to the medi- 
atorial throne, on which he was to 
reign until all opposing systems 
passed away, and the gospel filled 
the whole earth. How appropriate 
then to say, "I saw a great white 
throne, and him that sat on it, from 
whose face the earth and the heaven 
fled away ; and there was found no 
place for them;" ver. 11. 

12. And I sa?v the dead. — These 
w 7 ere the persons to whom the gospel 
was to be preached, and who were to 
be judged, and ruled, and governed 
by it. The dead are those who were 
buried in ignorance of God ; who 
knew not his law ; who obeyed him 
not, and were therefore represented 
as dead, until they believed the gos- 
pel. We have found this judgment 
of the " dead, small and great," men- 
tioned once before in the Apocalypse, 
viz., xi. 18, in connection with the 
closing up of Judaism and the open- 
ing of the gospel reign ; and there the 
revelator stated, " Thy wrath is come, 
and the time of the dead that they 
should be judged," ficc. See the long 
note on that verse. This preaching 
the gospel to the dead, and judging 
them thereby, is mentioned in other 
parts of the New Testament. In fact, 
the living and the dead are both 
judged by the gospel. This is the 
meaning of Peter's language, 1 Epis. 
iv. 5, 6 : " Who shall give account to 



opened, which is the book 



him that is ready to judge the quick 
and the dead. For, for this cause 
was the gospel preached also to them 
that are dead, that they might be 
judged according to men in the flesh, 
but live according to God in the 
spirit." That by the dead here is not 
meant those who had passed out of 
the present into the immortal state, 
but the dead in ignorance and sin, is 
acknowledged by commentators of 
different sects, some of whoin are of 
very high standing. Adam Clarke 
says, on 1 Peter iv. 5 : " To judge the 
quick and the dead signifies, they 
shall give account of these irregulari- 
ties to him who is prepared to judge 
both the Jews and the Gentiles. The 
Gentiles, previously to the preaching 
of the gospel among them, were reck- 
oned to be dead in trespasses and 
sins ; Eph. ii. 1 — 5 ; under the sen- 
tence of death because they had 
sinned. The Jews had, at least by 
their religious profession, a name to 
live ; and by that profession, were 
bound to live to God." — (Com. on the 
place.) In addition to the opinion of 
Dr. Clarke, we give the following 
from Dr. Macknight : " To judge the 
living and the dead. — From the fol- 
lowing verse it appears, that by the 
dead the apostle meant the Gentiles, 
said in other passages to be dead 
through ignorance and sin. Conse- 
quently, by the living we are to un- 
derstand those, who, by their profes- 
sion in the gospel, are reputed to be 
alive ; Rev. iii. 1. Thou hast a name 
that thou livest, and art dead. See, also, 
1 Tim. v. 6. The living and the 
dead, therefore, are the Jews and 
Gentiles." See Macknight on the 
Epistles. Dr. Whitby, in his very val- 
uable Commentary on the New" Tes- 
tament, speaks of this passage as 
follows : — < ; The dead, in Scripture, 
doth often signif\ r , not those who in a 
natural sense are dead by dissolution 
of the soul and body, but those who 
are spiritually so, as being alienated 
from the life of God, and dead in tres- 



CHAPT 

of life : and the dead were 



passes aad sins ; as when the apostle 
saith, The widow that liveth in pleas- 
ure is dead whilst she liveth ; 1 Tim. 
v. 6 ; and Christ unto the church of 
Sardis, Thou hast a na?ne to live, and 
art dead ; Rev. iii. 1. And when he 
speaks to one of his disciples thus, 
Follow thou me, and let the dead bury 
their dead ; Matt. viii. 22. This is a 
phrase so common with the Jews, 
that, as Maimonides informs us, they 
proverbially say, The wicked are dead 
even while they are alive : for he, 
saith Philo, who lives a life of sin, is 
dead as to a life of happiness ; his soul 
is dead, and even buried in his lusts 
and passions. And because the whole 
Gentile world lay more especially 
under these most unhappy circum- 
stances, whence the apostle styles 
them sinners of Gentiles ; Gal. ii. 15 ; 
it was proverbially said by the Jew- 
ish doctors, The heathens do not live ; 
and they in Scripture are more pecu- 
liarly intended by that phrase. Hence 
the apostle saith to the Ephesians 
and Colossians, Eph. ii. 1, Col. ii. 13, 
they were dead in tresspasses and sins ; 
and brings in God thus speaking to 
the Gentiles, Awake, thou that sleepest, 
arise from the dead, and Christ shall 
give thee light; Eph. v. 14." These, 
then, were the dead that were to 
be judged, and the judgment com- 
menced to take place when " the 
great white throne " was set up, and 
the earth and heaven fled away from 
the face of the Son of man, and at 
the time of the new heaven and new 
earth, and of the descent of the new 
Jerusalem to the earth; xxi. 1 — 4. 
There are very serious and weighty 
objections to giving any other inter- 
pretation to the passage before us. 
1st. To place this judgment after 
the immortal resurrection would not 
agree with the whole drift of this 
chapter. The scene of the destruc- 
tion of the dragon was laid on the 
earth ; the reign of Christ was on the 
earth ; after the thousand years had 
expired nations were found on the 



CR XX. 347 

judged out of those things 



four quarters of the earth, who 
attacked the camp of the saints ; the 
devil was not carried away from the 
earth to be cast into the lake of fire ; 
the " great white throne " was on the 
earth, and was set up at the time 
" the earth and seas, and the old roll- 
ing skies," [Watts,] passed away ; 
and why, then, should it be supposed 
that the judgment is not on the earth ? 
2d. In those parts of the New Testa- 
ment in which the immortal resur- 
rection is unquestionably spoken of, 
there, is no mention made of the 
setting up of the great white throne, 
or the passing away of the heavens 
and the earth, or the judgment of the 
dead, small and great, according to 
their works. We reaffirm, that 
nowhere, in all the Bible, are these 
things mentioned in connection with 
the resurrection of the dead into the 
immortal state, unless it is in the 
passage before us. If we should 
interpret this passage as having refer- 
ence to the immortal existence, the 
interpretation would stand alone, un- 
supported by another passage in all 
the Bible. Should not a fact of so 
vast importance make us hesitate in 
regard to such an interpretation ? 
3d. Did not Christ commence to judge 
the nations when he ascended the 
great white throne? Read the 11th 
and 12th verses in connection. See 
again the words of Jesus, Matt. xxv. 
31, 32 : " When the Son of man shall 
come in his glory, and all the holy 
angels with him, then shall he sit 
upon the throne of his glory : and 
before him shall be gathered all na- 
tions," &c, &c. In the parable from 
which this last extract is made, Jesus 
represented the nations as being 
judged by his gospel according to their 
works, — not their faith, or baptism, 
or professions, but their works. See 
Matt. xxv. 31 — 46, especially verses 
35, 36, and 42, 43. Now, when did 
the judgment here described take 
place ? Answer. When the Son of 
man came in his glory. See the 



348 



REVELATION. 



which were written in the books, according to their works. 



proof; it follows: "When the Son 
of man shall come in his glory, and 
all the holy angels with him, THEN 
shall he sit upon the throne of his 
glory;" Matt. xxv. 31. When did 
the Son of man come in his glory ? 
We have already proved, beyond all 
dispute, that it was during the life- 
time of some of those who had 
attended personally upon his min- 
istry. See the proof: "For the Son 
of man shall come in the glory of his 
Father, with his angels ; and then he 
shall reward every man according 
to his works. Verily I say unto you, 
There be some standing here, which 
shall not taste of death, till they see 
the Son of man coming in his king- 
dom ;" Matt. xvi. 27, 28. Christ 
commenced to judge the nations ac- 
cording to their works when he 
ascended "the great white throne." 
If, then, the judging of the nations is 
in the future state, Christ Jesus will 
not ascend "the great white throne" 
until all men have entered the future 
state. And in that event, there is 
now no Mediator, no kingdom of 
heaven among men. To such absur- 
dities are we driven by the common 
interpretation of the passage before 
us. 

It is of the utmost importance to be 
remembered, that the judgment of the 
nations under the gospel commenced 
when Christ commenced to reign, and 
shall not be discontinued until he 
shall resign the kingdom to the Father. 
That Christ will resign the kingdom 
to the Father at the immortal resurrec- 
tion, Paul shows, 1 Cor. xv. 24 — 28. 
The judgment began when Christ 
assumed the kingdom ; but if we sup- 
pose the judgment will be postponed 
until the immortal resurrection, we 
make the judgment begin not until 
Jesus shall resign the kingdom. This 
is most singular, that the judgment 
should commence not at the time the 
Lord Jesus ascended the throne, but at 
the time he shall leave it ! There are 
no two books in the Bible more nearly 



related in point of style than those of 
Daniel and the Apocalypse. The 
former is the Apocalypse of the Old 
Testament, the latter of the New. 
And we have already shown that the 
revelator had his eye on the prophecy 
of Daniel when he wrote the section 
of the Apocalypse which we are con- 
sidering. Now Daniel clearly shows 
that the judgment of the nations com- 
menced simultaneously with the com- 
mencement of the reign of Christ. 
Let the reader consider attentively 
the following facts. The kingdom 
of Christ, as all know, commenced 
in the days of the Soman Empire. 
" And in the days of these kings shall 
the God of heaven set up a kingdom, 
which shall never be destroyed : and 
the kingdom shall not be left to other 
people, but it shall break in pieces 
and consume all these kingdoms, and 
it shall stand forever ;" ii. 44. That 
the judgment commenced at the same 
time with the commencement of the 
kingdom, is fully evident from Dan. 
vii. 9, 14: "I beheld till the thrones 
were cast down, and the Ancient of 
days did sit, whose garment was 
white as snow, and the hair of his 
head like the pure wool : his throne 
was like the fiery flame, and his 
wheels as burning fire. A fiery 
stream issued and came forth from 
before him : thousand thousands min- 
istered unto him, and ten thousand 
times ten thousand stood before him : 
THE JUDGMENT was set, and 

THE BOOKS were opened. 

I saw in the night visions, and behold, 
one like the Son of man came with 
the clouds of heaven, and came to the 
Ancient of days, and they brought 
him near before him. And there was 
given him dominion, and glory, and 
a kingdom, that all people, nations, 
and languages, should serve him : 
his dominion is an everlasting domin- 
ion, which shall not pass away, and 
his kingdom that which shall not be 
destroyed." Does not this show, that 
the judgment was established and the 



CHAPTER XX. 



349 



13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it ; and 

time the old heavens and earth passed 
away, xx. 11, and was simultaneous 
with the descent of the New Jerusa- 
lem from heaven to men ; xxi. 1 — 4. 
Are these things yet future? Surely 
they are not. And why, then, we 
ask, should the judgment be thought 
to be future, which is indissolubly 
linked to them by the sacred writers ? 
6th. The judgment of the nations 
according to their works, if we may 
rely on our Lord's words, (and surely 
he is the highest authority,) was be- 
gun before the close of the natural 
lives of some of those who were on 
the earth, during his personal min- 
istry ; Matt. xvi. 27, 28 ; Mark viii. 
38: ix. 1; Luke ix. 26, 27. 7th. 
The judgment of the nations by the 
Lord Jesus is not a personal judg- 
ment, [except in the metaphorical 
sense,] but a judgment by the princi- 
ples of his gospel ; John xii. 48. See 
our remarks on this topic under xiv. 
6, 7. 8th. The judgments of the 
Apocalypse are all represented as 
being near at hand, present, already 
known, and manifested on the earth. 
They are said to be " on the earth 
vi. 10 ; " the time of the dead, that they 
should be judged," is come ; xi. 18 ; 
" the hour of his judgment is come ;" 
xiv. 7 ; " thy judgments are made 
manifest xv. 4 ; the seven vials in 
which was filled up the wrath of God, 
and which contained the seven last 
plagues of the Apocalypse, were all 
to be poured out on the earth, not 
excepting that which was to be poured 
out on the seat, throne, or place of the 
beast ; xv. 1 ; xvi. 1 ; see, also, 5 — 
7 ; the judgment of Rome was cer- 
tainly on the earth, because it con- 
sisted, of death, mourning, famine and 
conflagration ; xviii. 8 — 10 ; see, also, 
xix. 2. Whether men shall be sin- 
ners in the post-mortem state, it is 
not our purpose here to discuss. If 
they shall be sinners there, they will 
surely be miserable. But that the 
judgment of the nations under the 
gospel is on this earth, seems to us so 



books were opened at the same time 
that the kingdom was given to the 
Son of man ; at the same time that 
he came in the clouds of heaven? 
One fulfilment of the description is 
enough. If it has been once fulfilled, 
we need look no further ; we should 
be satisfied. We quote the words 
which Prof. Stuart utters, not on this 
precise passage, but on the Apoca- 
lypse in general : " What John de- 
clared would take place shortly, hap- 
pened according to his prediction ; 
and if so, the dispute whether it is all 
to happen over again [the italics are 
his] after so many centuries, cannot 
be a dispute of much interest or im- 
portance. One fulfilment is enough." 
— (Hints, 2d ed., 1842, pp. 141, 142.) 
That Christ commenced the judgment 
of the world when he set up his king- 
dom, is evident further from the 
following considerations. 1st. God, 
under the Old Testament, judged men 
in the earth ; see Psa. lviii. 11. 
u Verily, he is a God that judgeth in 
the earth." See, also, Prov. xi. 31 ; 
Isa. xx vi. 9. When he sent his Son, 
he did not inform men that the scene 
of the judgment was to be removed 
to some other world, but the contrary. 
2d. The prophets preasserted, that the 
judgment of Christ should bean the 
earth. " He shall not fail nor be dis- 
couraged, till he have set judgment 
in the earth ;" Isaiah xlii. 4. 3d. 
Jesus himself declared that he came 
into this world for the purposes of 
judgment. " For judgment I am 
come into this world;''' 1 John ix. 39. 
4th. He affirmed, when on the earth, 
that the time of his judgment had 
come. " Now is the judgment of this 
world;" John xii. 31. We inquire, 
in the words just quoted from Prof. 
Stuart, is it all to happen over again ? 
"One fulfilment is enough." 5th. 
It has been proved that the judgment 
commenced simultaneously with the 
gospel reign, at the same time that 
Jesus ascended the mediatorial throne. 
Compare xx. 11, 12. It was at the 
30 



350 



REVELATION. 



death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them : and 



clear, from the evidences we have 
advanced, that it would appear almost 
impossible to make it more so. 

It was a very important event that 
the revelator undertook to describe in 
the language before us. It was no 
less than the ruling and governing 
of the world by Jesus Christ. It was 
about to commence in his day. His 
fancy supplied him with a splendid 
image of the august epoch of the gos- 
pel. The scene was spread out before 
him like a panorama. He saw the 
nations all buried in sin, in darkness, 
in unbelief. It had been a custom of 
the Hebrew prophets to employ the 
state of natural death to represent the 
state of ignorance, unbelief and sin. 
The revelator availed himself of the 
same figure. He saw the dead, [not 
the raised,] small and great, stand 
before God. He saw the judgment 
begin ; the books were opened. So 
Daniel had said : " Ten thousand times 
ten thousand stood before him ; the 
judgment was set and the books were 
opened." The regions of hades were 
searched to bring up a fitting meta- 
phor to represent the state of the 
nations at the time the reign of the 
gospel begun. When men fall into 
sin and darkness, they are said to fall 
into hades, the state of the dead. 
While they remain in sin and dark- 
ness, they are said to remain in that 
state. And when the gospel came to 
the world, all men were regarded as 
being in that state. The figure of the 
dead, small and great, standing before 
God, is very similar to the allegory 
of Ezekiel — the vision of dry bones. 
The people were not merely repre- 
sented as being dead, but their flesh 
was consumed, and their bones were 
dry. The prophet was commanded 
to prophesy, and he did so. " I 
prophesied as I was commanded : and 
as I prophesied, there was a noise, 
and behold a shaking, and the bones 
came together, bone to his bone. 
And when I beheld, lo, the sinews 
and the flesh came up upon them, 



and the skin covered them above ; 
but there was no breath in them. 
Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto 
the wind, prophesy, son of man, and 
say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord 
God ; Come from the four winds, O 
breath, and breathe upon these slain, 
that they may live. So I prophesied 
as he commanded me, and the breath 
came into them, and they lived, and 
stood up upon their feet, an exceeding 
great army. Then he said unto me, 
Son of man, these bones are the whole 
house of Israel : behold, they say, 
Our bones are dried, and our hope is 
lost ; we are cut off for our parts. 
Therefore prophesy and say unto 
them, Thus saith the Lord God; 
Behold, O my people, I will open 
your graves, and cause you to come 
up out of your graves, and bring you 
into the land of Israel ;" Ezk. xxxvii. 
7 — 12. Now here the metaphor of 
literal and absolute death was em- 
ployed to represent the lost and un- 
done condition of the nation of the 
Jews. And so, in the revelator's 
fancy, " the dead, small and great," 
were used metaphorically to repre- 
sent the nations in darkness and sin, 
standing before God, to be judged by 
the gospel, at the time it was intro- 
duced into the world. But when the 
gospel shall have done its work, and 
Christ shall resign the kingdom to 
the Father, then men will not be dead, 
but 11 alive through Jesus Christ our 
Lord." 

Our Lord himself employed a sim- 
ilar metaphor when he spoke the 
parable of the " rich man and Laz- 
arus." He drew his images from 
the under world ; and that parable is 
founded on the notions which had 
prevailed among the heathen respect- 
ing hades, or the state of the dead, 
and which the Jews had partially 
received . Yet our Lord did not adopt 
those heathen notions as true; he 
used them metaphorically, as one who 
lived earlier had done the idea of the 
trees going forth to choose a king. 



CHAPTER XX. 



351 



they were judged every man according to their works. 



Judges ix. 8 — 15. Dr. Macknight, 
speaking of the parable of the rich 
man and Lazarus, says : " If, from 
these resemblances, it is thought the 
parable is formed on the Grecian 
mythology, it will not at all follow 
that our Lord approved of what the 
common people thought or spake concern- 
ing those matters, agreeably to the 
notions and language of the Greeks. 
In parabolical discourses, provided 
the doctrines inculcated are strictly 
true, the terms in which they are 
inculcated may be such as are most 
familiar to the ears of the vulgar, and 
the images made use of such as they 
are best acquainted with." — (Par. 
and Com.- on the place.) The sacred 
writers frequently drew their meta- 
phors from hades, or the state of the 
dead. A striking passage is found in 
Isa. xiv., where the overthrow of the 
king of Babylon is described in the 
most glowing language. The inhab- 
itants of hades rise up to meet him at 
his approach ; the kings of the lower 
regions rise from their thrones, and 
address him. See the passage : 
"Thou shalt take up this proverb 
against the king of Babylon, and say, 
How hath the oppressor ceased," <fec. 
* # # u Hades from beneath is 
moved for thee, to meet thee at thy 
coming: it stirreth up the dead for 
thee, even all the chief ones of the 
earth : it hath raised up from their 
thrones all the kings of the nations 

All they shall speak, and say 

unto thee, Art thou also become weak 
as we ? Art thou become like unto 
us?" verses 4, 9, 10. Now let the 
reader reflect upon this passage one 
moment. The scene of it is laid in 
hades, or hell. The inhabitants are 
the dead. The dead rise up, and 
taunt the king of Babylon at his 
destruction, saying: "Art thou be- 
come like unto us ? " This is literally 
untrue, and impossible ; because the 
dead know not anything. The whole 
passage is a prosopopoeia, designed 
to represent the fall of Babylon. No 



one supposes that the views of hades 
here introduced by the prophet were 
literally correct ; all agree that he 
used them metaphorically, to give 
force and beauty to the subject of his 
prophecy. We take the same ground 
in regard to the passage before us ; 
and the argument is precisely as 
good in the one case as in the other. 

We have thus seen that the judg- 
ment begun when Christ ascended 
"the great white throne;" that the 
nations then stood before him ; that 
the books were then opened ; and that 
the dead were then judged according 
to their works. All this, it seems to 
us, we have proved, beyond carping 
or contradiction. And here let it be 
observed, that, as the gospel was 
established at the end of the Jewish 
state, we found, when we came, in the 
course of our Commentary, to that 
section of the Apocalypse which de- 
scribed the destruction of the Jews, 
and the establishment of the gospel, 
this same fact of the judging of the 
dead, small and great, brought into 
close proximity to that event. u And 
the seventh angel sounded ; and there 
were great voices in heaven, saying, 
The kingdoms of this world are become 
the kingdoms of our Lord and- of his 
Christ ; and he shall reign forever and 
ever. And the four and twenty elders, 
which sat before God on their seats, 
fell upon their faces, and worshipped 
God, saying, We give thee thanks, O 
Lord God Almighty, which art, and 
wast, and art to come ; because thou 
hast taken to thee thy great power, and 
hast reigned. And the nations were 
angry, and thy wrath is come, and the 
time of the dead, that they should be 
judged, and that thou shouldest give 
reward unto thy servants the proph- 
ets, and to the saints, and them that 
fear thy name, small and great ; and 
shouldest destroy them which destroy 
the earth :" xi. 15 — 18. Here again 
we find the judging of the dead, small 
and great, closely connected with the 
commencement of the reign of Christ j 



352 



REVELATION. 



14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. Thi 



and all linked indissolubly to the time 
of the destruction of the Jewish state.* 
There are a few other points in the 
verse before us which we should 
notice before we proceed to the sub- 
sequent verses. If Before God. — 
Some think these events must happen 
in the eternal world, because it is 
said those who are judged stand 
before God. So was the earth corrupt 
before God, in the days of Noah ; 
Gen. vi. 11 ; so the elders of Israel 
eat bread with Jethro, the father-in- 
law of Moses, before God; Exod. 
xviii. 12 ; so David and all Israel 
played before God with harps and 

*Dr. Woodhouse gets a glimpse of the 
Scripture doctrine of judgment, in the follow- 
ing note on Rev. xi. 18. His thoughts were 
evidently much trammelled with preconceived 
opinions; but the truth was struggling with 
error in his mind, and broke forth like beams 
of sun-light through the vistas of a darkened 
cloud. 

" The received translation expresses that 
the dead are to be judged at this time; but 
more than this seems to be intended in the 
original ; for before the great day of final retri- 
bution, when the literally dead shall be raised 
from their graves for judgment, (as in ch. xxii. 
12,) another kind of judgment is to be ex- 
pected, — that by which the inequalities in the 
distribution of justice shall be rectified under 
the reign of Christ's religion upon earth. 
Krisin tois ethnesin apangelei, ' He shall utter 
judgment to the nations,' was the prophetic 
designation of our Lord, (Matt. xii. IS.) ' All 
judgment was committed to him by the 
Father ;' (John v. 22 ;) and his right to exer- 
cise it took place from his crucifixion ; (John 
xii. 31 ;) but this judgment was suspended for 
a time, he /crisis auto'u erthe ; (Acts viii. 33 ;) 
and was not to be exercised in plenitude of 
power, till the times of the Gentiles should be 
fulfilled ; (Luke xxi. 24.) And this judgment, 
though not perfected in all its parts before the 
great and last day, (which is also compre- 
hended under this seventh and last trumpet.) 
yet is first to be partially displayed in the 
destruction of the corrupt worldly powers, 
and the restoration of a purer religion and 
morality. 

" ' The time of the dead,' may likewise sig- 
nify (in that metaphorical sense in which the 
word death, &c, is frequently used) the time 
when pure religion, dead and buried with the 
witnesses, shall with them revive and flourish. 
But no final and certain opinion can be passed 
on prophecy, before the event shall direct the 
interpretation." — (Annotations on the Apoc, 
London, 1828.) 



with psalteries, &x. ; 1 Chron. xiii. 
8 ; xvi. 1 ; so Zacharias and Eliza- 
beth were both righteous before God, 
walking in all the commandments 
and ordinances of the Lord blame- 
less ; Luke i. 6 ; so Jesus of Naza- 
reth was a prophet mighty in deed 
and word before God and all the peo- 
ple ; Luke xxiv. 9 ; so Cornelius said 
to Peter, " Now therefore are we all 
here present before God, to hear all 
things that are commanded thee of 
God;" Acts x. 33. Let these refer- 
ences suffice, although many more 
might be given. To do a thing 
before God was to do it in a forma], 
religious, solemn and conscientious 
manner, with a sense of his presence 
and oversight. Such was peculiarly 
the case with Christ's judgment; the 
Father was ever with him. The 
words " before God" were quoted 
from Dan. vii. 10: "Ten thousand 
times ten thousand stood before him : 
the judgment was set and the books 
were opened." This is sufficient on 
this topic, in this place ; but those 
who w r ish to see the subject of the 
divine presence much more fully dis- 
cussed, are referred to our note on 
xiv. 10, illustrating the words, "in 
the presence of the holy angels, and 
the presence of the Lamb.'- ^[ The 
books were opened. — The figures here 
are evidently drawn from a human 
court of justice. The world is brought 
to Christ's bar to be judged. The 
books are opened; i. e., the books of 
God's law, of his precepts, out of 
which men are judged. Men are 
decided to be good or evil as their 
lives agree with the statutes written 
in the books. The law was called 
the book or books of the law ; and 
when the children of Israel were 
judged, they were judged out of the 
things written in the books ; Deut. 
xxix. 50, 27; 2 Kings xxii. 13. Jer- 
emiah says : "And I will bring upon 
that land all my words which I have 
pronounced against it, even all that is 
written in this book, which Jeremiah 



CHAPTER XX. 



353 



is the second death. 



hath prophesied against all the na- 
tions ; and I will recompense them 
according to their deeds, and accord- 
ing to the works of their own hands :" 
xxv. 13, 14. This was judging men 
out of the things written in the books, 
according to their works. That this 
opening of the books was simultaneous 
with the commencement of Christ's 
kingdom, has already been proved in 
this article so clearly as to preclude 
ail doubt. The dead were judged out 
of those things written in the books, 
according to their works. That the 
dead are judged in the present life, 
according to their works, is as plainly 
taught in the Bible as any other truth. 
The Jews were judged, under the old 
covenant, according to their works; 
and the same principle is maintained 
under the gospel. If men are judged 
according to their works in this world, 
there is no ground for supposing that 
they will be judged over again, for 
these same works, in some other state. 
Professor Stuart says, on other parts 
of the Apocalypse, u What John de- 
clared would take place shortly, hap- 
pened according to his prediction ; 
and if so, the dispute whether it is all 
to happen over again, after so many 
centuries, cannot be a dispute of much 
interest or importance. One fulfilment 
is enough." — (Hints on Proph. 141, 
142.) Men were judged out of the 
things written in the books; i.e., by 
the statutes and precepts of God. 
Everything is adjudged to be right as 
it agrees with these, and wrong as it 
disagrees with them. All the abettors 
of false systems must be judged by 
the gospel; all the opposers of Chris- 
tianity will be judged by its principles 
in the reign of Christ which is now 
going on. Every man shall be thus 
judged. ^ The book of life. — This 
expression occurs once only, except 
in the book of Revelation. See Phil, 
iv. 3 ; Rev. iii. 5 ; xiii. 8 ; xvii. 8 ; xx. 
12, 15 ; xxi. 27 ; xxii. 19. The book 
of life was the book of favorable 
remembrance ; the roll of the true 
30* 



15 And whosoever was not 



and faithful Christians who endured 
through all trials, unto the end. 
Whosoever's name w T as not found on 
this, was destroyed with the unbeliev- 
ers. See the notes on iii. 5 ; xiii. 8 ; 
where our opinion will be found fully 
expressed on the phrase " book of 
life." We need not repeat the argu- 
ments and illustrations in this place. 

13. Sea gave up the dead. — The 
metaphor here corresponds to that of 
the preceding verse. The dead must 
come from every place in which they 
may be supposed to lie — from the sea 
as well as the land. Death and hell 
(or hades, the state of the dead) must 
give up their prisoners to be judged 
by the gospel. The intent of the 
metaphor is, that men, from all their 
hiding places, their places of retreat, 
and rest, and security, shall be 
brought forth to be judged. ^[ Death 
avd hell delivered up the dead. — Isaiah 
used a somewhat similar metaphor : 
" We have made a covenant with 
death, and with hell are we at agree- 
ment ; when the overflowing scourge 
shall pass through, it shall not come 
unto us : for we have made lies our 
refuge, and under falsehood have we 
hid ourselves. * * * Your cove- 
nant with death shall be disannulled, 
and your agreement with hell shall not 
stand ; when the overflowing scourge 
shall pass through, then ye shall be 
trodden down by it ;" Isaiah xxviii. 
15, 18. Here, evidently, death and hell 
delivered up their dead, to be judged 
by God's truth. The refuge of lies 
was swept away, falsehood was de- 
molished by the overflowing scourge 
of God's judgments. The metaphors 
of the prophet and the revelator were 
very similar. To show that men can- 
not escape the judgments of the Al- 
mighty, however safe from them they 
may fancy themselves to be, the proph- 
et says : " Though thou exalt thyself 
as the eagle, and though thou set thy 
nest among the stars, thence will I 
bring thee down, saith the Lord;" 
Obadiah i. 4. And again. " Though 



354 REVEI 
found written in the book of life 



they dig into hell, thence shall my 
nand take them ; though they climb 
up to heaven, thence will I bring them 
down : and though they hide them- 
selves in the top of Carmel, I will 
search and take them out thence ; and 
though they be hid from my sight in 
the bottom of the sea, thence will I 
command the serpent, and he shall 
bite them ;" Amos ix. 2, 3. Thus we 
see, that these metaphors of bringing 
men from death, from hades, or hell, 
and from the bottom of the sea, to 
judge them, are used in reference to 
temporal judgments. The revelator 
evidently quotes his metaphors from 
the prophets. The simple meaning 
is, that none, wherever they may be, 
can escape from the judgments of 
God, " who will render to every man 
according to his works." 

14. Death and hell. — The primary 
question here is. What do death and 
hell stand for in the Apocalypse? 
Hell, in this place, is a translation of 
hades, meaning, primarily, the state 
of the dead ; but it is used metaphori- 
cally for darkness, opposition, deso- 
lation, prostration, destruction, &c; 
Matt. xi. 23 ; Luke x. 15 ; Matt. xvi. 
18. In Rev. i. 18, Jesus claims to 
" have the keys of hell and of death ;" 
i. e., he had power over everything 
represented by hell and by death. 
The gates of hell, or hades, Matt. xvi. 
18, were the powers of opposition 
which could not prevail against the 
church of Christ, because Christ had 
the keys of the gates, i. e., power over 
them ; he opened, and no man could 
shut ; he shut, and no man could open ; 
Rev. iii. 7. When it is said that 
death and hell followed in the path 
of the pale horse, Rev. vi. 8, we are to 
understand it as of the evils attendant 
on pestilence, viz., paleness, sinking, 
destruction, death. Death and hell 
can mean nothing more here. These 
are the only instances in the Apoca- 
lypse of the use of these terms, until 
we come to the 20th chapter. The 
whole . is metaphorical. The dead 



was cast into the lake of fire. 



were the spiritually dead — a condi- 
tion in which Jesus found mankind 
when he ascended the mediatorial 
throne; vers. 11, 12 5 the books are 
to be understood metaphorically, as 
is also " the book of life :" the judg- 
ment, we have shown, was on the 
earth, for this was the purpose for 
which Jesus came into the world ; 
John ix. 39 ; xii. 31. In carrying out 
the metaphor, the dead are all called 
to come to the throne to be judged ; 
a figure somewhat similar to that in 
the previous chapter, of calling the 
fowls of heaven to gather themselves 
together to the supper of the great 
God; xix. 17: and hence the sea, 
where those lie who died on the 
waters, and the graves, where those 
rest who died on the land, are called 
on to surrender their tenants, that 
they may come up and be judged at 
the gospel bar. This all agrees with 
the revelator's plan of selecting "the 
dead" to represent men in their lost 
and undone condition, before they 
knew the gospel, which is the precise 
metaphor Ezekiel had set him the 
example of using ; xxxvii. 12 — 14 : 
" Behold, O my people, I will open 
your graves, and cause you to come 
up out of your graves, and bring you 
into the land of Israel. And ye shall 
know that I am the Lord, when I 
have opened your graves, my peo- 
ple, and brought you up out of your 
graves, and shall put my Spirit in 
you, and ye shall live, and I shall 
place you in your own land." In fact, 
(and it may as well be stated here 
as anywhere,) the metaphors of the 
revelator in this section of the Apoca- 
lypse are, nearly all of them, taken 
from the 37th chapter of Ezekiel and 
the remaining chapters of that book. 

Ezekiel : Revelation : 

Calling dead from The same ; xx. 12 
their graves ; xxxvii. 13. 
1-14. 

Gog and Magog ar- The same ; xx. 7—9. 

ray themselves against 
the people of God; 
xxxviii., xxxix. 



CHAPTER XX. 



355 



Ezekiel : Revelation : 

The fowls are called The same ; xix. 17 

to the banquet of the to 21. 
dead ; xxxix. 17 — 20. 

The prophet's vision The new Jerusalem 

of the new city of Je- comes down from God 

rusalem; chaps, xl. to out of heaven, and is 

xliv. very particularly de- 
scribed ; chaps, xxi. 
xxii. 

The prophet's vision The river of the wa- 

of the holy waters pro- ter of life proceeding 

ceeding out of the tern- from the throne of 

pie ; xlvii. God ; xxii. 1. 

That the revelator borrowed the 
whole train of his metaphors, in the 
closing up of the Apocalypse, from 
the latter part of the prophecy of 
Ezekiel, is fully manifest; and the 
calling the dead up out of their graves 
to be judged by the gospel, is no more 
to be interpreted literally, as if belong- 
ing to the immortal state, than the 
dry bones of the valley, in Ezekiel's 
vision. And as the gospel was in- 
tended to put an end to all tears, and 
death, and sorrow, and crying, and 
pain, and everything of that kind ; 
xxi. 3, 4 ; how appropriately is it said, 
" Death and hell were cast into the 
lake of fire ;" i. e., were destroyed. 
IT Lake of fire. — We have already 
explained this metaphor, under xix. 
20, and xx. 10. It was a metaphor 
for utter destruction. Death and hell 
were to be utterly destroyed by the 
reign of the gospel, as is plainly 
taught in the 21st chapter of the 
Apocalypse. Everything that op- 
posed the gospel was to be put down. 

The second death. — The first death 
was the death in sin, in which the 
gospel found men; for when men 
were raised from that state of moral 
death, they were said to experience 
"the first resurrection." Those who 
received the first resurrection lived 
and reigned with Christ during the 
time called "the thousand years." 
Such as did not embrace the gospel, 
in the empire, during that time, suf- 
fered the second death ; i. e., remained 
dead after the happy period of the 
church, and were destroyed as the 
enemies of Jesus, with everything 
that opposed the gospel. As there 



was a second death, so there was also 
a second resurrection ; for, if there 
were no second resurrection, it would 
not be proper to speak of "the first 
resurrection." And we do not know 
what the second resurrection can 
more appropriately represent than the 
extended and glorious spread of the 
gospel, immediately described by the 
revelator, when God should wipe away 
all tears ; when there should be no 
more death, [the second death being 
annihilated,] neither sorrow, nor cry- 
ing, nor pain, and when all things 
should be made new. 

15. Not written. — Those not written 
in the book of life were the enemies 
of Christianity throughout the empire 
— the heathen power, and all whom 
the beast and the dragon had kept 
under their authority. They were 
all to be utterly destroyed as such. 
% Lake of fire. — They were to be 
cast into the lake of fire ; not in the 
future state, for we have no account 
of any lake of fire there ; besides, if 
it were there, how could the beast and 
the false prophet have been cast alive 
into it ? The Jews met a similar fate 
for their wickedness and opposition 
to God. See Isaiah xxxi. 9, and Ezk. 
xxii. 18 — 22 : " Son of man, the house 
of Israel is to me become dross : all 
they are brass, and tin, and iron, and 
lead, in the midst of the furnace ; they 
are even the dross of silver. There- 
fore, thus saith the Lord God, Because 
ye are all become dross, behold, there- 
fore, I will gather you into the midst 
of Jerusalem. As they gather silver, 
and brass, and iron, and lead, and 
tin, into the midst of the furnace, to 
blow the fire upon it, to melt it ; so 
will I gather you in mine anger and 
in my fury, and I will leave you there, 
and melt you. Yea, I will gather 
you, and blow upon you in the fire 
of my wrath, and ye shall be melted 
in the midst thereof. As silver is 
melted in the midst of the furnace, so 
shall ye be melted in the midst there- 
of ; and ye shall know that I the Lord 
have poured out my fury upon you." 
This is a very similar metaphor to 



356 REVELATION. 



casting into the lake of fire ; but who 
ever supposed, even for one moment, 
that it was in the immortal state? 
See the notes on xix. 20, and xx. 10. 
Pagan Rome met with a similar fate 
to that of the Jews ; not indeed as 
early, but as fatally and irrecover- 
ably. Both are " twice dead, plucked 
up by the roots ;" Jude 12 ; totally 
destroyed. They were not found 
written in the book of life, and were 
cast into the lake of fire. The de- 
struction of Idumea was compared to 
being laid waste by fire and brimstone. 
<< The streams thereof shall be turned 
into pitch, and the dust thereof into 
brimstone, and the land thereof shall 
become burning pitch. It shall not 
be quenched night nor day ; the 
smoke thereof shall go up forever ; 
from generation to generation it shall 
lie waste ; none shall pass through it 
forever and ever;" Isa. xxxiv. 9, 10. 
How conformable, then, to prophetic 
style, to represent a people who were 
to be totally destroyed as being about 
to be cast into the lake of fire. Pa- 
ganism was to be utterly destroyed 
throughout the empire : it was done. 
We have thus gone through with the 
twentieth chapter of the book. As 
we find, at the close of this chapter, 
that the earth and heaven were said 
to flee away, so we shall see that the 
twenty-first chapter opens with the 
coming of the " new heaven and the 
new earth." We have interpreted 
the twentieth chapter in harmony 
with the whole Apocalypse, and pre- 
served a beautiful analogy through- 
out. There is one very serious objec- 
tion to applying Rev. xx. 12 — 15 to 
the immortal state ; it breaks up the 
plan of the Apocalypse. The com- 
mentators who have done this have 
been obliged, in making up their 
plan of the book, to trace out a 
series of events reaching to the im- 
mortal resurrection. They have 
tasked their imaginations, therefore, 
to make out such a series, to which 
they can apply certain parts of the 
Apocalypse ; and in doing this, almost 



every commentator has had a system 
of his own ; and the plan of one is as 
good as the plan of any other. They 
are all confusion worse confounded. 
Such commentators bring in the 
Goths, the Lombards, the French, the 
Popes, the Catholic Church, [which 
they have represented as the woman 
riding on the beast.} the Saracens, the 
Mahometans ; and having applied, or 
rather misapplied, much of the Apoca- 
lypse to past history, they have gone 
on to prophesy of what is to happen 
in the future. Some have introduced 
the French Revolution: the rise and 
fall of Bonaparte ; the events in 
Egypt, Turkey, and India; and all 
this for what? Because they have 
felt themselves obliged to make out 
a series of events reaching to the im- 
mortal resurrection of the dead. It is 
in this vast chasm, reaching from the 
fall of the Roman Empire forward 
to the immortal resurrection, that the 
principal errors of commentators, in 
regard to the Apocalypse, are found. 
If they would but allow that the judg- 
ment of the dead, small and great, 
xx. 12 — 15, should be explained as 
we have explained it, they might 
make of the Apocalypse a beautiful 
and consistent book ; but as long as 
they seek to make out that the pas- 
sage referred to should be applied to 
the post-mortem state, and is not to 
be fulfilled until after the immortal 
resurrection, they must seek to fill 
up the chasm we have mentioned 
from their own wits ; and they thus 
bring endless contradictions and con- 
troversies into the church. They 
make themselves the sport of un- 
believers. If the evil stopped here 
we should not so earnestly complain. 
But they abuse the Apocalypse itself; 
they bring that into disrepute : for 
careless men will not examine wheth- 
er their interpretations properly be- 
long to the book ; but, disgusted with 
phantasms, visions and contradic- 
tions, they will abandon commenta- 
tors, Apocalypse and all, as utterly 
unworthy of notice. 



CHAPTER XXI. 



357 



CHAPTER XXI. 

AND I saw a new heaven 
and a new earth : for the 

CHAPTER XXI. 

Preliminary Remarks. — We found, 
in the last chapter, the closing up of 
the. account of the destruction of 
heathenism. The final act in that 
drama was the destruction of " the 
dragon, that old serpent, which is the 
Devil and Satan," which is described 
in the 10th verse. 

At the 11th verse we showed that 
the aecount of the reign of the gos- 
pel commenced. The "great white 
throne" was the mediatorial throne ; 
not a real throne, any more than the 
holy city, new Jerusalem, was a real 
city. It was a metaphor to represent 
the reign of Christ in the gospel ; be- 
fore whom the nations, represented 
by the " dead, small and great," stood 
to be judged. This judgment we 
found to refer not to the future state, 
because it commenced to take place 
at the time Christ's kingdom began, 
and will be finished at the resurrection 
of the dead, when all souls shall be 
subject to Christ, in the same sense in 
which Christ is subject to the Father, 
and G-od shall be all in all ; 1 Cor. xv. 
24—28. None can enter into this 
kingdom except those who are fully 
prepared. The stones must be hewn 
and squared before they can be incor- 
porated into the edifice ; and this shall 
be done for every soul, before the 
completion of the grand design men- 
tioned in the passage last indicated. 

The 21st chapter is but a continua- 
tion of the subject commenced at the 
11th verse of the preceding chapter. 
Having foretold the establishment of 
the mediatorial throne, and the judg- 
ment of the nations by the gospel, the 
revelator proceeds, in the next place, 
to describe the descent of the new 
covenant, under the metaphor of the 
holy city, new Jerusalem, coming 
down from God out of heaven, as 
will be seen below. 

1. New heaven and a new earth. — 



first heaven and the first earth 
were passed away ; and there 
was no more sea. 



The new heaven and new earth here 
refer to what had been said in the 
11th verse of the preceding chapter : 
" And I saw a great white throne, and 
him that sat on it, from whose face 
the earth and, the heaven fled away ; 
and there was found no place for 
them." Now the revelator says, in 
the verse before us : " I saw a new 
heaven and a new earth ; for the first 
heaven and the first earth were passed 
away," &c. The new here are the 
opposite or counterpart of the old, and 
come in to take the place of the old. 
It is expressly said they were intro- 
duced because " the first heaven and 
the first earth were passed away." 
Now, if the new heaven and the new 
earth refer to the introduction of the 
gospel, what can the passing away of 
the former heaven and earth refer 
to, but the passing away of the 
law ? If so, (and who can doubt it ?) 
then the judgment of the nations, 
small and great, was connected with 
the passing away of the law, and not 
with the passing away of the material 
heaven and earth. ¥e have already 
shown that it had been the custom of 
the Jewish writers, almost from the 
earliest antiquity, to represent changes 
among the affairs of men by changes 
among the heavenly bodies — the sun, 
moon, the stars ; and the ardent im- 
aginations of the prophets conceived 
sublimer metaphors to represent the 
greater changes, even the passing 
away of the whole heaven, and the 
earth, and the sea. There is no prin- 
ciple of the interpretation of Scrip- 
ture metaphors more clearly settled 
than this. To describe the passing 
away of the religions that prevailed 
before the introduction of the gospel, 
but more especially that of Moses, 
the sacred writers use the metaphor 
of the dissolution of all things ; and 
hence Peter said in his day, in con- 
nection with the "judging of the quick 



358 



REVELATION. 



2 And I John saw the holy 

and the dead," " The end of all things 
is at hand ; be ye therefore sober, 
and watch unto prayer ;" 1 Peter iv. 
6, 7. From the literal application 
of these passages, so incontestably 
proved to be metaphorical, has arisen 
that huge fabric of error, viz., that the 
judging of the quick and the dead is 
not to take place while the material 
earth remaineth ; hence it is thought 
that it is still future, and shall not 
transpire until the resurrection of the 
dead into the immortal state. Such a 
sentiment rests on a total perversion 
of the true sense of the Bible ; and 
when that good book shall come to 
be more fully understood, the whole 
fabric must fall. In the forms of 
speech adopted by the Jewish proph- 
ets, any great and favorable change 
might be represented by the creation 
of a new heaven and a new earth. In 
proof of this, see Isaiah lxv. 17 : " For 
behold, I create new heavens and a new 
earth ; and the former shall not be 
remembered, nor come into mind."' 
Now what does this mean ? The 
next verse will show very clearly : 
" But be ye glad and rejoice forever 
in that w r hich I create ; for behold, 
I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and 
her people a joy." From this it is 
evident that by the creation of a new 
heaven and new earth was meant a 
great and favorable change in the 
condition of Jerusalem. Observe the 
three points: 1st. "I create new 
heavens and a new earth." 2d. "Be 
ye glad and rejoice forever in that 
which I create." 3d. "For behold, I 
create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her 
people a joy." The prophet, then goes 
on to describe the prosperous and 
glorious condition of the Jews that 
was to ensue, as follows : " And they 
shall build houses, and inhabit them ; 
and they shall plant vineyards, and 
eat the fruit of" them. They shall 
not build, and another inhabit ; they 
shall not plant and another eat ; for as 
the days of a tree are the days of my 
people, and mine elect shall long enjoy 



city, new Jerusalem, coming 

the work of their hands. They shall 
not labor in vain, nor bring forth for 
trouble ; for they are the seed of the 
blessed of the Lord, and their off- 
spring with them. And it shall come 
to pass, that before they call, I will 
answer ; and while they are yet 
speaking, I will hear. The wolf and 
the lamb shall feed together, and the 
lion shall eat straw like the bullock • 
and dust shall be the serpent's meat. 
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all 
my holy mountain, saith the Lord ■'' 
21 — 25. The improved condition of 
Jerusalem was intended by the meta- 
phor of the new heavens and new 
earth as used by Isaiah ; and it was 
the improved condition of mankind, 
under the gospel, that was denoted by 
the new heavens and new earth of the 
revelator. Peter, in his second Epis- 
tle, exhorted his brethren to be " mind- 
ful of the words which were spoken 
before by the holy prophets;" iii. 2. 
He then said, "There shall come scoff- 
ers in the last days," i. e., the last days 
of the former covenant ; ver. 3. By 
" last days," in this place, is meant the 
same as 11 the end of all things 1 
Peter iv. 7. St. Peter then proceeds 
to make a distinction between the 
material heavens and earth and the 
heavens and earth in the metaphori- 
cal sense. The one was the earth 
that was overflowed with water in the 
time of the flood, 2 Peter iii. 5, 6, 
and which has not been destroyed, 
but still remains to this day : the oth- 
er were the heavens and the earth 
which were [in Peter's day] reserved 
unto fire against the day of judgment 
and perdition of ungodly men; ver. 
7. This "day of judgment," or "day 
of the Lord," is mentioned again in 
vers. 10 — 12, as follows : " But the day 
of the Lord will come as a thief in 
the night ; in the which the heavens 
shall pass away with a great noise, 
and the elements shall melt with fer- 
vent heat, and the earth also and the 
works that are therein shall be burned 
up. Seeing then that all these things 



CHAPTER XXI. 



359 



down from God out of heaven, 
prepared as a bride adorned for 
her husband. 



shall be dissolved, what manner of 
persons ought ye to be in all holy 
conversation and godliness, looking 
for and hasting unto the coming of 
the day of God, wherein the heavens 
being on fire shall be dissolved, 
and the elements melt with fervent 
heat ?" This was " the end of all 
things," already referred to — the 
passing away of the old heavens and 
earth mentioned Rev. xx. 11, as fol- 
lows : " From whose face the earth 
and the heaven fled away ; and there 
was found noplace for them." Peter 
proceeds to say : ; ' Nevertheless we, 
according to his promise, look for new 
heavens and a new earth, wherein 
dwelleth righteousness ver. 13. 
Here he evidently refers to God's 
promise to create a new heaven and 
a new earth, which promise we have 
already quoted from the 65th chapter 
of Isaiah. So the revelator, after 
he had described the passing away of 
the former heavens and earth, at " the 
day of the Lord," or day of judg- 
ment of the dead, small and great, 
proceeds to speak of the coming 
of the new heavens and new earth 
— that is, of a very improved condi- 
tion in the state of mankind. But 
he does it in his own style. Isaiah's 
metaphor no longer remains a mere 
metaphor, but swells, in the revela- 
tor's hands, into a splendid allegory. 
He not only has a new heaven and 
a new earth, but a new city of Jeru- 
salem also, coming down from God 
out of heaven, beautifully adorned, 
having a wall great and high, with 
twelve gates, &c. &c. The new 
heavens and the new earth denote 
the improved condition about to take 
place in the affairs of the world ; and 
the new Jerusalem denotes the 
gospel, by the means of which that 
improvement is to be produced. 

2. / John. — The revelator gives 
his name only in i. 1, 4, 9, and in this 



3 And I heard a great voice 
out of heaven, saying, Behold, 
the tabernacle of God is with 



place, and xxii. 8. And there was a 
peculiar propriety in his naming 
himself here, as he was the only one 
of the apostles who lived until the 
descent of the new Jerusalem, or the 
coming of Christ in power and glory, 
took place. See John xxi. 23. How 
forcible, therefore, are these words : "I 
John sa?v. v Holy city, new Jerusalem. 
— The city of Jerusalem being the 
place where the worship of God was 
established, and where all the pomp 
and splendor of the temple-service 
was seen, was called the " holy city." 
See Isaiah's description : " Awake, 
awake ; put on thy strength, O Zion ; 
put on thy beautiful garments, 
Jerusalem, the holy city ; for hence- 
forth there shall no more come 
into thee the uncircumcised and the 
unclean ;" lii. 1. This was Jeru- 
salem proper, the old Jerusalem. It 
was associated with all that was sa- 
cred in the eyes of the Jews. Like 
the word Zion, the very name be- 
came almost a part and parcel of the 
Jewish religion. Ii sometimes stood 
metaphorically for the religion itself. 
How appropriate, how beautiful, how 
striking a metaphor to the Jewish 
Christians was the representation of 
the coming of the gospel covenant 
under the figure of the holy city, — 
not the old Jerusalem, but the new 
city of that name, coming down from 
God out of heaven. We cannot con- 
ceive of an image more fitting to the 
revelator's times, or more attracting 
to the Jewish Christians who were 
everywhere scattered abroad. This 
was the city referred to by the author 
of the epistle to the Hebrews, when 
he congratulates them as follows : 
" But ye are come unto mount Sion, 
and unto the city of the living God, 
the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an 
innumerable company of angels, to 
the general assembly and church of 
the first-born, which are written in 



360 



REVELATION. 



men, and he will dwell with 
them, and they shall be his peo- 

heaven, and to God the judge of all, 
and to the spirits of just men made 
perfect, and to Jesus the Mediator of 
the new covenant, and to the blood of 
sprinkling, that speaketh better things 
than that of Abel :" xii. 22—24. 
Here it is called the heavenly or spirit- 
ual Jerusalem, which agrees with the 
description of the revelator, who 
says it came down from God out of 
heaven. We shall henceforward find 
nothing further said in the Apoca- 
lypse of the local heaven, or dwelling- 
place of God, introduced into the dra- 
ma, at chap. iv. It will be the spir- 
itual heaven, the new Jerusalem, 
from this place. See our note on xix. 
5. Prepared as a bride adorned for 
her husband. — The only meaning 
here is, that it was beautifully and 
appropriately adorned. The bride 
prepares herself in beautiful and 
fitting attire to receive the bride- 
groom. See xix. 7, 8: "His wife 
hath made herself ready," &c. The 
heavenly Jerusalem, i. e., the Lamb's 
wife, (ver. 9,) is gloriously attired for 
his advent. Rome had been repre- 
sented by a woman, and now a simi- 
lar metaphor is used to represent the 
new Jerusalem. They are both rep- 
resented first as women, then as cities. 
See xvii. 1 ; xix. 7, 8. Bat the first 
woman is an impure harlot; the 
second is a virgin bride. The first 
city is idolatrous and wicked; the 
second is "the holy city," the new 
Jerusalem. See our note on iii. 12. 
The glory of this city we shall find 
described in subsequent verses of this 
chapter. 

3. The tabernacle of God is with 
men. — As the holy city, the heav- 
enly Jerusalem, is described as hav- 
ing come down from heaven', it is 
said God will henceforth dwell with 
men. Zion of old was said to be 
his habitation. " For the Lord hath 
chosen Zion ; he hath desired it for 
his habitation. This is my rest for- 
ever : here will I dwell : for I have 



pie, and God himself shall be 
with them, and be their God. 

desired it ;" Psa. cxxxii. 13, 14. •[[ He 
will dwell with them. — During the 
journey of the Israelites to Canaan, 
the divine presence was supposed to 
dwell in the tabernacle, — a tent, or 
covering, the holiest of all places in 
the sight of the Jews After the tem- 
ple was built, the tabernacle was set 
up therein. From these facts, any 
place where God's spiritual presence, 
or image, was manifested, was called 
the tabernacle of the Lord, because 
he was supposed to dwell there. 
When the Jewish religion passed 
away, the Christian took its place ; 
when the Jewish tabernacle was abol- 
ished, the Christian was set up in its 
stead. "But Christ being come a 
high priest of good things to come, 
by a greater and more perfect taber- 
nacle, not made with hands, that is 
to say, not of this building; neither 
by the blood of goats and calves, but 
by his own blood, he entered in once 
into the holy place, having obtained 
eternal redemption for us ;" Heb. ix. 
11, 12. Christians, in whom the 
spirit of the Lord is seen, whose 
image dwells in their hearts, are said 
to be the tabernacle, or temple of 
God, and in the precise sense too in 
which the metaphor is used by the 
revelator. "And what agreement 
hath the temple of God with idols? 
for ye are the temple of the living 
God ; as God hath said, I will dwell 
in them, and walk in them; and I 
will be their God, and they shall be 
my people ;" 2 Cor. vi. 16. God 
came down to dwell with men spirit- 
ually in the gospel ; to establish new 
relations with them ; to make him- 
self known more fully to them ; to 
dwell in more intimate connection ; 
to make them feel that he was their 
God and they were his people. The 
veil of the old covenant was to be 
taken away. In the temple he was 
supposed to dwell beneath the taber- 
nacle ; under the gospel he would 
dwell in men's hearts. Isaiah, the 



CHAPTER XXI, 



361 



4 And God shall wipe away- 
all tears from their eyes ; and 
there shall be no more death, 
neither sorrow, nor crying, nei- 
ther shall there be any more 

evangelical prophet, seemed to catch 
the same idea. " For thus saith the 
high and lofty One that inhabiteth 
eternity, whose name is Holy ; I 
dwell in the high and holy place, with 
him also that is of a contrite and 
humble spirit, to revive the spirit of 
the humble, and to revive the heart 
of the contrite ones ;" Isaiah lvii. 15. 
Thus, the prophet held, that although 
the high and lofty One inhabiteth 
eternity, yet he dwelleth in the heart 
of the contrite and humble, They 
shall be his people. — To be God's 
people, was to be a people who knew 
and felt their allegiance to him ; and 
when he is said to be their God, and 
to dwell with them, the meaning is, 
that they should enjoy a large share 
of the divine presence and blessing, 
and all collateral prosperity. See 
Zech. viii. 8 ; compare 9 — 15. 

4. Wipe away all tears, &c. — This 
was the consequence of God dwelling 
among them ; this was the new and 
highly improved state of things de- 
noted by the new heavens and new 
earth. This description of the conse- 
quences of the gospel among men is 
beautiful. Can the imagination con- 
ceive of anything more brilliant ? All 
tears are wiped away ; death is abol- 
ished ; and neither sorrow, nor cry- 
ing, nor pain remains. These beau- 
tiful metaphors were copied from the 
prophet Isaiah. " He will swallow 
up death in. victory ; and the Lord 
God will wipe away tears from off all 
faces ; and the rebuke of his people 
shall he take away from off all the 
earth : for the Lord hath spoken it;" 
xxv. 8. It is supposed that Isaiah 
was looking forward to the coming 
of the gospel, and was foretelling the 
glorious consequences that would re- 
sult from that great system of divine 
grace. Paul extends the language 
31 



pain : for the former things are 
passed away. 

5 And he that sat upon the 
throne said, Behold, I make all 
things new. And he said unto 

of the prophet even to the abolition 
of death at the time of the general 
resurrection of mankind ;" 1 Cor. xv. 
26, 54. In his view, it will be then 
that God shall wipe tears from all 
faces ; and cause death, and sorrow, 
and sighing, to cease forever. We 
have found these glorious conse- 
quences of the gospel before referred 
to in the Apocalypse ; see vii. 17. It is 
peculiarly worthy of observation, that 
Paul did not believe that all the con- 
sequences of the gospel would be fully 
realized until the immortal resurrec- 
tion of the dead. These consequences 
may be realized in part in the present 
world ; but in his view the whole 
force of the passage is not here felt. 

The former things are passed away. 
— The meaning here is, that the 
former state of things should no more 
be known. The prophet had said, 
when speaking of the new state of 
things denoted by the new heavens 
and new earth : " And the former 
shall not be remembered, nor come 
into mind ;" Isa. lxv. 17. The reve- 
lator expresses the same idea by say- 
ing, "the former things are passed 
away." The Christians were contin- 
ually reminded of their former or 
unconverted state, and of the deeds 
thereof, as things to be specially 
avoided in their new condition. Their 
"former conversation" was put off; 
Eph. iv. 22 ; and they were not to 
fashion themselves according to their 
"former lusts;" 1 Pet. i. 14. Thus 
with the Christian, the former things 
must pass away. But more, of this 
under the next verse. 

5. I make all things new. — The 
whole design here is to show that the 
gospel was designed to produce an 
improved condition of the world — an 
entirely new state. This is begun in 
the heart of every believer. If he 



362 



REVELATION. 



me, Write : for these words are 
true and faithful. 

6 And he said unto me, It is 

has been brought to the knowledge 
of the truth, and knows and feels that 
Christ is his Lord, and lives accord- 
ingly, he is translated thereby into a 
new state. Hence Paul said: "If 
any man be in Christ, he is a new 
creature ; old things are passed away ; 
behold, all things are become new;" 
2 Cor. v. 17. When the house of 
Israel turned from their wicked ways, 
to serve God, the change was de- 
scribed by very striking figures. To 
forsake wickedness was to "turn to 
the Lord;" Isa. lv. 7. To become 
disgusted with vice, and to be brought 
to love the ways of the Lord, was 
described by the prophet as follows : 
" Make you a new heart and a new 
spirit ; for why will ye die, house 
of Israel?" Ezk. xviii. 31. These 
forms of speech, so clearly metaphor- 
ical, are preserved in the New Testa- 
ment. Hence, the change from false 
religion to Christianity was called a 
new creation, or regeneration ; a new 
birth ; the Christian was a new crea- 
ture ; 2 Cor. v. 17 ; he "put on the 
new man ;" Eph. iv. 24 ; Col. iii. 
10 ; he entered the " new Jerusalem," 
and had a " new name ;" Rev. iii. 
12 ; a " new song was put in his 
mouth," because he had a new occa- 
sion of rejoicing; v. 9 ; xiv. 3. How 
strikingly true, then, when God sent 
the new covenant into the world, was 
the assurance, " Behold, I make all 
things new." *[f Write ; for these 
words are true and faithful. — Things 
that were to be understood, that were 
to be remembered, and that were of 
vast importance to men, it was cus- 
tomary to command them to write. 
They were not to be left to be trans- 
mitted by tradition. Hence Moses 
was commanded to write the words 
of the law; Exod. xxxiv. 27. To 
write a thing on the tablet of the 
heart, was to impress it deeply there. 
The revelator was commanded to 
write these things, because they were 



done. I am Alpha and Omega, 
the beginning and the end. I 
will give unto him that is athirst 

true and faithful, and of vast impor- 
tance to men, worthy of special record, 
and of being transmitted by this sure 
method from age to age. 

6. It is done. — The phrase "it is 
done" is to be understood here, it is 
determined, it is certain. As if the 
spirit had said to the revelator, "What 
I have written to you is true and 
faithful, and the events which I have 
foretold shall certainly come to pass. 
It is determined in the decrees of him 
who is able to fulfil his pleasure. 
If Alpha and Omega. — He is Alpha 
and Omega, the beginning and the 
end. Alpha is the first letter and 
Omega the last of the Greek alphabet. 
To say that God is Alpha and Omega, 
is to say that he is the first and the 
last, the beginning and the end. See 
Rev. i. 8 ; xxii. 13. If Water of life. 
— To show the efficacy of the gospel 
in healing the moral maladies of men, 
it is represented under the metaphor 
of water, and more especially of the 
"water of life." See Isa. lv. 1. 
Examine, also, the beautiful allegory 
that occurred in the course of the 
conversation between Jesus and the 
woman of Samaria at Jacob's well, 
John iv. 10 — 15. Here Jesus com- 
pares his gospel to living water ; and 
the wants of men destitute of the 
gospel are represented by thirst. 
There is something in the gospel 
which completely satisfies the moral 
wants of mankind, as water satisfies 
the thirsting man ; and the gospel 
furnishes a satisfaction so full and 
complete to the human soul, that he 
who receives it, it is said, " shall 
never thirst." One of the great and 
leading consequences of the gospel is 
referred to here. It wipes away all 
tears, abolishes death, removes sor- 
row, and crying, and pain, and in 
this way gives men perfect satisfac- 
tion. "When, therefore, he that sat 
upon the throne said, It is done, — I 
have the power to fulfil what I have 



CHAPTER XXI. 



363 



of the fountain of the water of | 
life freely. 

7 He that overcometh shall 
inherit all things ; and I will be 
his God, and he shall be my son. 

said, — lam Alpha and Omega, the 
beginning and the end, he adds, as 
the great and leading consequence of 
all this, " I will give unto him that is 
athirst of the fountain of the water 
of life freely." As if he had said, 
that system is now set up which is to 
supply all the moral wants of the 
world. See Rev. vii. 17, and xxii. 
17. 

7. He that overcometh. — It is the 
Christian's duty to overcome the 
world. Jesus overcame the world ; 
John xvi. 33. The coadjutors of the 
beast made war upon the Lamb, and 
he overcame them ; Rev. xvii. 14. 
John said : " For whatsoever is born 
of God overcometh the world : and 
this is the victory that overcometh 
the world, even our faith. Who is 
he that overcometh the world, but 
he that believeth that Jesus is the 
Son of God?" 1 John v. 4, 5. The 
whole of this may be expressed in 
one word, the Christian is not to be 
overcome of evil, but is to overcome 
evil with good ; Rom. xii. 21. % Shall 
inherit all things. — He that over- 
cometh, i. e., he that remains firmly 
attached to the principles of the gos- 
pel in the midst of persecution, " shall 
inherit all things." All things, here, 
signify all those blessings of which 
the revelator had been speaking. ^f I 
will be his God ; — i. e., I will be his 
portion, I will be his protector, I will 
appear in a near and important rela- 
tion to him, like that of a God and a 
father. 

8. The fearful and unbelieving. — 
The opposite class from those men- 
tioned in the last verse are here 
intended, viz., those who had not 
been brought to the knowledge of the 
truth, or if they had, had not remained 
steadfast. They were fearful; they 
did not embrace Christianity, through 



| 8 But the fearful, and unbe- 
lieving, and the abominable, and 
murderers, and whoremongers, 
and sorcerers, and idolaters, and 
all liars, shall have their part in 

want of courage and fortitude to bear 
the perils of being Christians. They 
were unbelieving. Faith gains the 
victory; 1 John v. 4, 10; and these 
had it not. They were abominable, 
for they were guilty of the worst of 
vices, those that were most degrading 
to men. They were murderers, and 
whoremongers, and sorcerers, and 
idolaters, and liars, — and no wonder 
they were said to be abominable. 
If Shall have their part in the lake, &c. 
— Now these could not enter into the 
kingdom of God. St. Paul said : 
" Know ye not that the unrighteous 
shall not inherit the kingdom of God ? 
Be not received; neither fornicators, 
nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor 
effeminate, nor abusers of themselves 
with mankind, nor thieves, nor cov- 
etous, nOr drunkards, nor revilers, 
nor extortioners, shall inherit the 
kingdom of God ;" 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10. 
No wonder, then, that the revelator 
said, they " shall have their part in 
the lake which burneth with fire 
and brimstone : which is the second 
death." The Christians had part in 
the new Jerusalem. They did " eat 
of the tree of life in the midst of the 
paradise of God ;" Rev. ii. 7 ; they 
" were not hurt of the second death 
ii. 11 ; they eat of the hidden manna, 
and had a white stone given to them, 
and in that stone a new name ; ii. 
17; they had "power over the na- 
tions;" ii. 26; they were clothed in 
white raiment, their names were in 
the book of life, and they were con- 
fessed before God ; iii. 5 ; they were 
pillars in the temple of God ; and the 
name of God and the Lamb was 
written upon them, and the name 
of the New Jerusalem ; iii. 12 ; they 
sat with Jesus on his throne, as he 
sat with his Father; iii. 21. This 
was the part the Christians enjoyed. 



364 



REVELATION. 



the lake which burnetii with 
fire and brimstone : which is 
the second death. 

These metaphors were used to de- 
scribe their happy state, even in the 
midst of outward trials and persecu- 
tions. The worshippers of the beast 
had no rest day nor night ; but 
those who were crucified with Christ 
rested from their labors and suffer- 
ings, when the persecuting power 
was destroyed, and their works of 
success followed them; xiv. 10 — 13. 
Peace reigned in their souls. But 
the unbelievers were in an entirely 
opposite condition, described by oppo- 
site metaphors. They had " their 
part in the lake which burneth with 
fire and brimstone : which is the sec- 
ond death." This lake of fire we 
have fully explained, under Rev. xix. 
20 ; xx. 10, 14, 15. It was a meta- 
phor to represent utter destitution. 
The expression is made intensive, to 
show the lost and undone condition 
of those who were deterred by fear 
and vice from embracing the gospel. 
The slightest proof has not been dis- 
covered, in the whole Apocalypse, 
that these metaphors refer at all to 
the future state. % Which is the 
second death. — In Ezekiel's metaphor 
of the valley of dry bones, the Jews 
were represented not merely as dead, 
but wasted away ; their flesh was 
entirely gone, and their bones were 
dry 5 they were twice dead. The 
figure was made thus intensive to 
show their absolutely lost and undone 
condition without the help of God. 
So in the case before us. The unbe- 
lievers were cast into the lake of fire 
and brimstone. Not that this was 
done actually ; no one puts such a 
construction upon the words. Juda- 
ism and heathenism were to be actu- 
ally destroyed by the power of the 
gospel ; and the poor subjects of them 
were to remain in an absolutely lost 
and undone condition as long as they 
remained such subjects. They had 
their part in the lake which burneth 
with fire and brimstone, the opposite 



9 And there came unto me 
one of the seven angels, which 
had the seven vials full of the 

condition from that which the Chris- 
tians enjoyed. But does the reve- 
lator intend that persons in this con- 
dition can never be brought into the 
kingdom of God? Certainly not. 
For then how should tears be wiped 
from all faces? how should the rest 
of the dead live ; xx. 5 ; those who 
had not partaken in the first resur- 
rection ? how should the final harvest, 
that was to follow the first fruits, be 
gathered in? how could it be said, 
there shall be no more death, nor 
sorrow, nor crying, nor pain ? xxi. 4. 
It will be remembered, that when 
Paul said absolutely, "The unright- 
eous shall not inherit the kingdom of 
God," he was particular to remark to 
the Christians, " SUCH were some of 
you ; but ye are washed, ye are 
sanctified, but ye are justified in the 
name of the Lord Jesus, and by the 
spirit of our God;" 1 Cor. vi. 11. 
This explajns the whole matter. 
While men are in the state of sin 
which we have described, they are 
not in the kingdom of God, and can- 
not be ; but they may be washed, and 
purified, and fitted for that kingdom. 
"We have shown incontestably that 
fire and brimstone are metaphors for 
temporal calamities. We consider 
these figures to be parallel to the fur- 
nace of fire into which the Jews were 
cast; Matt. xiii. 42. Those who 
wish to know whether this fire is a 
metaphor of temporal judgments may 
consult Isaiah xxxi. 9 ; Ezk. xxii. 
17 — 22. Give particular attention to 
the passages here referred to. 

9. One of the seven angels. — We 
now come to a new section in the 
chapter. The revelator had given 
assurance of the coming of a much 
improved state of things, under the 
metaphor of the new heavens and 
new earth. This was to be done by 
means of the gospel, which was rep- 
resented by the descent of the holy 
city, new Jerusalem, from heaven. 



CHAPTER XXI. 



365 



seven last plagues, and talked 
with me, saying, Come hither, 
I will show thee the bride, the 
Lamb's wife. 

10 And he carried me away 
in the spirit to a great and high 
mountain, and showed me that 
great city, the holy Jerusalem, 
descending out of heaven from 
God. 



The consequences of the establish- 
ment of the gospel are then described, 
such as the wiping away of all tears, 
and the utter abolishing of death, and 
sorrow and crying. All things shall 
be made new. He that overcometh 
shall inherit all the blessings, while 
the fearful, unbelieving, &c, shall 
suffer not only the deprivation thereof, 
but the punishments indicated by the 
lake of fire. Such are the subjects 
of the preceding verses. But at the 
9th verse, the revelator proceeds to a 
more particular description of the 
holy city, new Jerusalem. And to 
introduce this, he states, that one of 
the seven angels who had the seven, 
last plagues, xv. 1, talked with him 
saying, "Come hither, I will show 
thee the bride, the Lamb's wife;" 
xix. 7. The figure of a woman 
is frequently used to represent the 
church, and sometimes the gospel 
covenant; Gal. iv. 24 — 26. The 
bride, in this case, was the new 
Jerusalem, as subsequent verses will 
show. 

10. Showed me the great city. — The 
carrying of the revelator to an ex- 
ceeding high mountain is altogether 
scenic, like the angel standing in the 
sun ; xix. 17. The angel showed 
him that great city, the holy Jerusa- 
lem, descending out of heaven from 
God. This spiritual city was the 
bride, which the angel had promised 
to show him ; ver. 9 ; and it was the 
new Jerusalem mentioned ver. 2. 
The Jews had the custom of describ- 
ing the enslaving and carrying away 
of a people into captivity, under the 



1 1 Having the glory of God : 
and her light was like unto 
a stone most precious, even 
like a jasper-stone, clear as 
crystal ; 

12 And had a wall great and 
high, and had twelve gates, 
and at the gates twelve angels, 
and names written thereon, 
which are the names of the 

metaphor of the destruction of a city ; 
and so the return from captivity, or 
the renewed prosperity of a people, 
was represented, on the contrary, by 
planning and building a new city on 
a scale of great magnificence. The 
example which the revelator follows 
may be found in Ezekiel, chap. xli. — 
xlvi. — (Lightfoot's Works, iii. 367.) 

11. The glory of God. — This holy 
city, new Jerusalem, was full of the 
glory of God ; Isaiah lx. 1, 2. The 
covenant of the gospel was the more 
perfect exhibition of the glory of God, 
which the world hath ever seen. 
f[ Jasper stone. — The jasper was a 
beautiful stone, sometimes purple, 
sometimes cerulean and sometimes 
green. The stone spoken of here 
was clear as crystal. The Holy 
One is said to have had the appear- 
ance of a jasper and a sardine stone; 
iv. 3. The light of the new Jerusa- 
lem was like that reflected from a 
beautiful jasper, clear as crystal. 
It was clear, it was bright, and yet 
not painful to the eye. See Isaiah 
liv. 11, 12, and Iviii. 8. 

12. A wall great and high. — In 
setting forth the beauties and excel- 
lencies of the new Jerusalem, all that 
would be great, and glorious, and 
necessary in an earthly city, is here 
brought in. Hence mention is made 
of the wall great and high, which 
can mean nothing as appertaining to 
new Jerusulem, but is put into the 
description merely to make the im- 
age of the city complete. Cities, of 
old, were built with walls, which 
were one of their principal means of 



366 



REVELATION. 



twelve tribes of the children of 
Israel. 

13 On the east, three gates ; 
on the north, three gates ; on 

strength and defence. The prophet 
Isaiah said, God appoints " salvation 
for walls and bulwarks ;" Isa. xxvi. 
1 : lx. 10—18. f Twelve gates. — 
Many very wise speculations have 
been made about the twelve gates, 
with the twelve angels, &c. The 
gates, in our judgment, are mentioned 
only because there must be gates to a 
city which has walls, otherwise there 
can be no entrance. The number 
twelve was chosen because it was a 
famous sacred number with the Jews, 
on account of the number of the 
tribes ; and as, if there be gates, 
there must be janitors or gate-keepers, 
so an angel is placed at each gate. 
The names of the tribes were engraved 
upon the gates, to show who resided 
within the walls. The twelve tribes 
here are to be understood metaphor- 
ically, as in chapter vii. 5 — 8. 

13. Three gates. — Hammond, with- 
out the acuteness he frequently shows, 
supposes that " these entrances, three 
toward every quarter, denote the 
coming in of men from all quarters of 
the world to the faith of Christ, or 
doctrines of the gospel, and their 
baptism, their sacrament of admission 
to all, performed by a threefold im- 
mersion, [as there were three gates on 
each side,] and profession of faith in 
the three persons, Father, Son and 
Holy Ghost." — (Com. on the place.) 
Metaphors were not designed to be 
treated in this manner. They are not 
to be explained and applied in every 
point. The object of the revelator 
was to show a very beautiful and 
perfect city, to represent the spiritual 
city or the new Jerusalem. And as 
there must be gates where there are 
walls, and as twelve gates answered 
to the twelve tribes, and as no city 
has all its gates on one side of it, it 
was a very natural division of them 
to put three in each wall, facing the 



the south, three gates ; and on 
the west, three gates. 

14 And the wall of the city 
had twelve foundations, and in 



four cardinal points of the compass. 
We certainly cannot see any propriety 
in any other supposition touching this 
verse ; but there are persons who can 
discover images and proofs of the 
trinity wherever the number three 
is mentioned. 

14. Twelve foundations. — As the 
revelator had mentioned the twelve 
tribes, whose names he had represent 
ed as being engraved upon the twelve 
gates, so he had a desire to mention 
the twelve apostles also. He there- 
fore supposed the city to have twelve 
principal foundations, and on these 
were placed the names of the twelve 
apostles of the Lamb. This agrees 
precisely with the beautiful metaphor 
of the apostle : " Now, therefore, ye 
are no more strangers and foreigners, 
but fellow-citizens with the saints, and 
of the household of God ; and are built 
upon the foundation of the apostles 
and prophets, Jesus Christ himself 
being the chief corner-stone ; in whom 
all the building, fitly framed together, 
groweth unto a holy temple in the 
Lord: in whom ye also are builded 
together, for a habitation of God 
through the spirit;" Eph. ii. 19—22. 
Does not this show that the revelator 
was not describing things that are to 
take place after the immortal resur- 
rection, but the state of the church on 
earth ? Peter was one of the principal 
stones in this foundation. See Matt, 
xvi. 18. If the revelator was describ- 
ing the state of the church on earth, 
does it not show that all that is de- 
scribed in the twentieth chapter must 
be on the earth ? If it had been a 
judgment after the immortal resurrec- 
tion, which is described in the twen- 
tieth chapter, how is it that we find 
the church still described as existing 
on the earth? 

15. Measure the city. — As, accord- 
ing to the style of the prophets, it 



CHAPTER XXI. 



367 



them the names of the twelve 
apostles of the Lamb. 

15. And he that talked with 
me, had a golden reed to meas- 
ure the city, and the gates 
thereof, and the wall thereof. 

16 And the city lieth four- 
square, and the length is as 
large as the breadth : and he 
measured the city with the reed, 
twelve thousand furlongs. The 
length, and the breadth, and the 
height of it are equal. 

17 And he measured the wall 
thereof, a hundred and forty 
and four cubits, according to the 
measure of a man, that is, of the 
angel. 

became necessary to give the meas- 
urement of the city, [Ezek. xl. 3 ; 
Zech. ii. 1 ; Rev. xi. 1,] so the revela- 
tor supposed the angel that talked 
with him to have a golden reed in his 
hand, for the purpose of measuring 
the city, the gates, and the wall. 
These things show how fully he was 
instructed in the style of the proph- 
ets. 

16. Twelve thousand furlongs. — 
These dimensions were surely imagi- 
nary. Everything is made conform- 
able to the most exact rule. The city 
is in the form of a cube — the length, 
breadth, and height, are equal. It is 
an extraordinary city, constructed 
with the most exquisite art, but is 
surely metaphorical. 

17. An hundred and forty and four 
cubits. — Twelve times twelve cubits 
— the number twelve still dwelling in 
his mind. A cubit is the ordinary 
length of the human arm, from the 
elbow (cubitus) to the tip of the 
longest finger. The revelator says, 
although he was talking with the 
angel, that he intended the cubit of 
ordinary length ; i. e., according to 
the measure of a man. 

18. Of jasper.— Having got through 



18 And the building of the 
wall of it was of jasper : and the 
city was pure gold, like unto 
clear glass. 

19 And the foundations of 
the wall of the city were gar- 
nished with all manner of pre- 
cious stones. The first foun- 
dation was jasper ; the second, 
sapphire; the third, a chalce- 
dony ; the fourth, an emerald. 

20 The fifth, sardonyx; the 
sixth, sardius; the seventh, 
chrysolite ; the eighth, beryl : 
the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, 
a chrysoprasus ; the eleventh, 
a jacinth ; the twelfth, an ame- 
thyst. 

the measurement, he now comes to 
speak of the external beauty, richness 
and glory of this imaginary city. 
The wall seemed to be of itself like 
jasper-stone, beautiful, very brilliant, 
and yet not painful to behold. ^[ Pure 
gold. — The city was rich beyond 
all comparison, being built of gold, 
polished to that high degree, that, 
although gold, it had still, for transpa- 
rency, the appearance of glass. 

19, 20. All manner of precious stones. 
— The foundations of the city repre- 
sented the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 
These foundations are represented as 
being ornamented with twelve kinds 
of precious stones, like the breastplate 
of the high priest. These stones were 
set one for each tribe, as a kind of 
sign of that tribe. See Exod. xxxviii 
17 — 21. It was perhaps from this 
fact that a covering of precious stones 
came to signify the highest state of 
glory, prosperity and riches. So the 
original state of Tyre was expressed : 
" Thou hast been in Eden, the garden 
of God ; every precious stone was thy 
covering, the sardius, topaz, and the 
diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the 
jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and 
the carbuncle, and gold: the work- 



368 



REVELATION. 



21 And the twelve gates were 
twelve pearls ; every several 
gate was of one pearl ; and the 
street of the city was pure gold, 
as it were transparent glass. 

22 And I saw no temple 
therein ; for the Lord God Al- 



manship of thy tabrets and of thy 
pipes was prepared in thee in the day 
that thou wast created;" Ezekiel 
xxviii. 13. The foundations of the 
new Jerusalem were garnished in the 
highest possible degree. The whole 
intent is to make the metaphor trans- 
cendency glorious. The revelator 
copies from the prophets. 

21. Twelve pearls. — Pearls were 
of great value ; and were used as 
representations of the most precious 
things ; Matt. vii. 6. They were used 
for personal ornaments, as they are 
to this day ; 1 Tim. ii. 9. Each of 
the gates was said to be of one pearl 
— a thing impossible in itself, because 
the pearl being found in a fish, no 
one could have been obtained large 
enough for a gate of a city, much less 
a city of such dimensions. This 
clearly shows that the expression was 
hyperbolical, and that the design was 
to describe a city of exceeding rich- 
ness, adorned in the highest manner, 
as a metaphor of the gospel, or coven- 
ant of God, in which he dwells with 
men. We repeat a remark made be- 
fore, that the Jews were accustomed 
to represent the enslaving of a people 
under the metaphor of the destruction 
of a city ; and a return from captivity, 
or a renewed or increased state of 
prosperity, was represented by the 
rebuilding of a city. It is so in the 
case before us. It is measured with 
great exactness, but the whole, surely, 
is metaphorical. 

22. I saw no temple therein. — In 
the old city of Jerusalem there was a 
temple ; i. e., an outward, literal, tem- 
ple ; but there was no such temple 
in the new Jerusalem ; yet the new 
city was not without a temple in the 



mighty and the Lamb are the 

temple of it. 

23 And the city had no need 
of the sun, neither of the moon, 
to shine in it : for the glory of 
God did lighten it, and the 
Lamb is the light thereof. 



highest and most important sense, for 
the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb 
are the temple of it. God was present 
in this Jerusalem in a nearer and 
more definite sense than he had been 
present in the former. In the new 
Jerusalem his presence will not be 
confined to place. There is no need 
of an outward temple ; he is himself 
the temple. He dwelleth not now in 
temples made with hands ; Acts xvii. 
24. The worship of God under the 
new covenant is confined to no place. 
Jesus said to the woman of Samaria, 
" Woman, believe me, the hour Com- 
eth when ye shall, neither in this 
mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, wor- 
ship the Father John iv. 21. « But 
the hour cometh, and now is, when 
the true worshippers shall worship the 
Father in spirit and in truth; for 
the Father seeketh such to worship 
him." 

" Where'er the saints assemble now. 
There is a house for God." 

23. The glory of God did lighten it. 
— It was a spiritual city — the sun 
need not shine upon it. The glory 
of God made it radiant ; the sun of 
righteousness shed upon it its beams. 
Its light was spiritual light. The 
Jews, who abounded in the richest 
metaphors, were accustomed to say, 
when the glory of God was peculiarly 
manifested in a place, that it had no 
longer the need of the sun and moon. 
See Isaiah lx. 18—20: "Violence 
shall no more be heard in thy land, 
wasting nor destruction within thy 
borders ; but thou shalt call thy walls 
Salvation and thy gates Praise. The 
sun shall be no more thy light by 
day ; neither for brightness shall the 
moon give light unto thee ; but the 



CHAPTER XXI. 



369 



24 And the nations of them 
which are saved shall walk in 
the light of it : and the kings of 
the earth do bring their glory 
and honor into it. 

25 And the gates of it shall 
not be shut at all by day : for 
there shall be no night there. 

26 And they shall bring the 

Lord shall be unto thee an everlast- 
ing light, and thy God thy glory. 
Thy sun shall no more go down ; 
neither shall thy moon withdraw it- 
self ; for the Lord shall be thine ever- 
lasting light, and the days of thy 
mourning shall be ended." The 
revelator applies the metaphors of the 
prophets to the superior beauty and 
radiance of the gospel. 

24. Them which are saved. — The na- 
tions of them that are saved were 
those who had been brought to the 
knowledge of the truth, and saved 
thereby. The Christians were called 
the saved; 1 Cor. i. 18. They were 
saved from error, sin, and moral death. 
«f[ Walk in the light of if. — They 
walked in the light of the new Jeru- 
salem. Before the coming of Christ, 
the people walked in darkness ; Isa. 
ix. 2. When he came, they saw a 
great light. But they did not all walk 
in that light ; some continued in dark- 
ness. The saved, however, walked 
in the light of the new Jerusalem. 
IT Bring their glory, &c. — And as 
kings, in building up an earthly city, 
use their immense influence and 
treasures, to bring glory and honor to 
it, they are said to do the same here : 
"And kings shall be thy nursing 
fathers, and their queens thy nursing 
mothers ; they shall bow down to thee 
with their face toward the earth, and 
lick up the dust of thy feet ; and thou 
shalt know that I am the Lord : for 
they shall not be ashamed that wait 
for me Isa. xlix. 23. In describing 
the glory of Solomon's kingdom, the 
Psalmist said, " The kings of Tarshish 
and of the isles shall bring presents ; 



glory and honor of the nations 
into it. 

27 And there shall in no 
wise enter into it anything 
that defileth, neither whatso- 
ever worketh abomination, or 
maketh a lie ; but they which 
are written in the Lamb's book 
of life. 



the kings of Sheba and Seba shall 
offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall 
down before him; all nations shall 
serve him;" Psa. lxxii. 10, 11. 

25, 26. — Shall not be shut.— The 
figure here is principally quoted from 
Isaiah, to whom the revelator became 
frequently indebted : " Therefore thy 
gates shall be open continually ; they 
shall not be shut day nor night ; that 
men may bring unto thee the forces 
of the Gentiles, and that their kings 
may be brought ;" Isa. lx. 11. In earth- 
ly cities the gates are shut at night, 
to exclude thieves and enemies, and 
to avoid surprise. But as there is no 
night in the new Jerusalem, these 
precautions would be unnecessary. 

27. Anything that defileth. — All glo- 
ry and all honor will be conferred 
upon the new Jerusalem, that the 
nations can bring. Everything that 
defileth will be excluded from it, be- 
cause "the unrighteous cannot in- 
herit the kingdom of God." They 
must be washed, and sanctified, and 
saved, before they can enter. Only the 
saved shall walk in the light of it, 
those whose names are enrolled among 
the Christian believers, in the Lamb's 
book of life. The conclusion of this 
description will be found in the next 
chapter. 

CHAPTER XXII. 

Preliminary Remarks. — In the pre- 
ceding chapter we found an account 
of the descent of the new Jerusalem 
from heaven ; and a description of it 
under the figure of an earthly city. 
This description had not closed at the 
end of the chapter, but is continued to 



370 



REVELATION. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

AND he showed me a pure 
river of water of life, clear 
as crystal, proceeding out of the 
throne of God and of the Lamb. 



the end of the fifth verse of the chap- 
ter now before us. 

1. Pure river of the water of life. — 
The throne of God is supposed by the 
revelator to be set up in the new Je- 
rusalem. It is a divine kingdom in 
which God reigns in conjunction with 
the Son, and of course the throne of 
God and the Lamb is represented as 
being there. See verse 3. From the 
throne of God and the Lamb, or from 
under the throne, came out a pure 
river of the water of life, clear as 
crystal. Nothing adds more to the 
beauty, comfort, and health of a city, 
than a river running through it. In 
describing a perfect city, therefore, 
the river is introduced. In the garden 
of Eden, the perfection of beauty, 
there was the river to water it ; Gen. 
ii. 10. But unquestionably the reve- 
lator had his mind on Ezekiel's de- 
scription of the city. Ezekiel had 
thereby prefigured the happy state of 
the Jews after their return from cap- 
tivity. As he had prefigured their 
return to Jerusalem by the resurrec- 
tion in the valley that had been filled 
with dry bones, so he proceeds to de- 
scribe a city for them to dwell in. As 
the Christians, by the help of God, 
were to overcome Gog and Magog, 
viz., their spiritual enemies, they 
must have a spiritual city to dwell in, 
and the new Jerusalem was that city. 
And as Ezekiel saw the waters issue 
out from under the threshold of the 
house eastward, xlvii. 1, so here, in 
the new Jerusalem, the waters issue 
from beneath the throne. The waters 
which Ezekiel saw were healing, liv- 
ing waters : " Everything shall live, 
(said the prophet,) whither the river 
cometh ver. 9. So in the re vela- 
tor's description, the water is called 
the " water of life, clear as crystal." 



2 In the midst of the street 
of it, and on either side of the 
river, was there the tree of life, 
which bare twelve manner of 
fruits, and yielded her fruit ev- 
ery month : and the leaves of 

2. On either side of the river. — This 
description is clearly taken from Eze- 
kiel, as well as that of the preceding 
verse. Hear what the prophet says : 
" And by the river, upon the bank 
thereof, on this side and on that side, 
shall grow all trees for meat, whose 
leaf shall not fade, neither shall the 
fruit thereof be consumed ; it shall 
bring forth new fruit according to his 
months, because their waters they 
issued out of the sanctuary ; and the 
fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the 
leaf thereof for medicine xlvii. 12. 
In the description of a beautiful gar- 
den, how is the scene heightened by 
the introduction of a pure stream of 
water. See Solomon's description : 
" Thy plants are an orchard of pome- 
granate, with pleasant fruits ; cam- 
phire, with spikenard, spikenard and 
saffron ; calamus and cinnamon, with 
all trees of frankincense ; myrrh and 
aloes, with all the chief spices ; a 
fountain of gardens, a well of living 
waters, and streams from Lebanon 
Song, iv. 13—15, ^ Tree of life. — In 
Ezekiel's description, the healing tree, 
or tree of life, was seen on either 
bank of the river, yielding its fruit 
monthly, the leaves of which were for 
medicine. The revelator paints a 
street on each side of the river, and 
between the street and the brink of 
the river on either side grew the tree 
of life. Not that there was one tree 
only ; but that all the trees were of 
that species. They were all the tree 
of life. % Yielded her fruit every month. 
— And this tree bore its fruit every 
month. It is not intended that the 
tree bore twelve different kinds of 
fruit, for no tree does this ; but it af- 
forded twelve harvests in the year. 
It is said the tree bore twelve fruits ; 
and this is explained by the re- 



CHAPTER XXII. 



371 



the tree were for the healing of 
the nations. 

3 And there shall be no more 
curse : but the throne of God 
and of the Lamb shall be in it ; 

mark, that it yielded its fruit every 
month. The leaves of the tree were 
for the healing of the nations. — It 
might truly then be called the tree of 
life. Its very leaves were of a heal- 
ing quality. This language in respect 
to the nations shows, that by the new 
Jerusalem the revelator was not de- 
scribing the immortal state of man, 
but a happy state on the earth, where 
nations exist. Although Professor 
Stuart maintains that by the new 
Jerusalem the revelator intended " the 
final abode of the faithful servants of 
the Redeemer," (ii. 389,) yet on this 
verse he is constrained to acknowl- 
edge, that " the distant nations may 
derive healing and life-preserving vir- 
tue from the leaves of the trees, car- 
ried abroad and distributed among 
them." This would seem to show 
that the tree of life was a blessing en- 
joyed on the earth. In the preceding 
chapter it had been said, concerning 
the new Jerusalem, l - And the nations 
of them which are saved shall walk in 
the light of it ; and the kings of the 
earth do bring their glory and honor 
unto it ;" xxi. 24. Is it possible this 
can be a description of the immortal 
state ? Every one must see it is not. 
How, then, can the events of the twen- 
tieth chapter be referred to the future 
world? The events of that chapter 
certainly transpired before those de- 
scribed in xxi. and xxii. 

3. There shall be no more curse. — 
Everything evil shall be excluded 
from the new Jerusalem, for the 
throne of God and the Lamb is there. 
In Zechariah's description of the re- 
newed state of Jerusalem, he says : 
" And men shall dwell in it, and there 
shall be no more utter destruction ; but 
Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited ;" 
xiv. 11. Blessed with the river of 
life, and the tree of life, how could 



and his servants shall serve him : 

4 And they shall see his face ; 
and his name shall be in their 
foreheads. 

5 And there shall be no night 



any curse remain ? E very thing should 
live whither the river should come. 
Death, therefore, shall be entirely re- 
moved ; .and as the leaves of the tree 
are for the healing of the nations, 
there cannot remain any curse in the 
new Jerusalem. <ft The throne of 
God shall be there. — This seems bor- 
rowed from Ezekiel's description of 
the renovated Jerusalem. " It was 
round about eighteen thousand meas- 
ures ; and the name of the city from 
that day shall be, The Loed is theee ;" 
Ezk. xlviii. 35. The description re- 
sembles very strikingly a passage in 
the previous part of the Apocalypse, 
where the revelator was treating more 
particularly of the Jews. " Therefore 
are they before the throne of God, and 
serve him day and night in his tem- 
ple : and he that sitteth on the throne 
shall dwell among them. They shall 
hunger no more, neither thirst any 
more ; neither shall the sun light on 
them, nor any heat. For the Lamb 
which is in the midst of the throne shall 
feed them, and shall lead them unto 
living fountains of water; and God 
shall wipe away all tears from their 
eyes ;" Rev. vii. 15 — 17. How truly 
was it said, " There shall be no more 
curse." "His servants shall serve 
him." 

4. They shall see his face. — To see 
God's face means to live in near com- 
munion with him. Thus we read: 
" Blessed are the pure in heart ; for 
they shall see God;" Matt. v. 8. To 
see the Lord is, by some, supposed to 
signify being in his immediate pres- 
ence in the immortal world ; and it 
is thought the passage intimates that 
some will never thus see him. But, 
however true it is that all men must 
be perfectly holy before they can be 
perfectly happy in the future life, still 
the phrase to see God is used, by the 



372 



REVELATION. 



there ; and they need no candle, 
neither light of the sun ; for the 
Lord God giveth them light : 

Hebrew writers, to denote a state of 
spiritual honor and enjoyment in the 
present life. The expression arose 
from the customs of the eastern kings. 
" To behold the king's face, was con- 
sidered an honor and happiness ; 
much more to see it habitually, that 
is, to be employed in his immediate 
service, and to enjoy his favor. Thus, 
also, the expression to see God signi- 
fies to experience his friendship, and 
to be admitted to the greatest happi- 
ness in his presence ; whereas, not to 
see him is to be shut out from his favor, 
and to be under his awful displeasure. 
Christ says of his humblest followers, 
that in heaven their angels do always 
behold the face of his heavenly Father ; 
referring to the usage of earthly 
courts, where such as always behold 
the monarch's face were highest in 
office and regard. By this he signi- 
fied, that these little ones had a pow- 
erful interest in heaven, and were 
peculiarly dear to God himself; so 
that it became men to take heed how 
they despised them; Matt, xviii. 10. 
To sit next the king, especially on his 
right hand, was a mark of the highest 
honor and dignity ; 1 Kings ii. 10 ; 
Matt. xx. 20—23 ; Heb. i. 3." — (Nev- 
in's Biblical Antiquities, i. 247.) ^[ His 
■ name shall be in their foreheads ; i. e., 
shall be written in the most conspic- 
uous place. Their profession shall be 
very open ; they shall be known un- 
doubtedly as the servants of God. 
The same figure has occurred before 
in the Apocalypse : " Him that over- 
cometh, will I make a pillar in the 
temple of my God, and he shall go no 
more out, and I will write upon him 
the name of my God, and the name 
of the city of my God, which is New 
Jerusalem, which cometh down out 
of heaven from my God : and I will 
write upon him my new name ;" iii. 
12. See, also, vii. 3 ; xiv. 1. 

5. Need no candle, neither light of 
the sun. — This is a repetition of what 



and they shall reign forever and 
ever. 

6 And he said unto me, These 



was said xxi. 23, 25, and we refer the 
reader to the remarks on those verses. 
These metaphors of the fulness and 
beauty of God's house, of the river of 
water, the fountain of life, and the 
special light of God's countenance, are 
very ancient. " They shall be abun- 
dantly satisfied with the fatness of thy 
house; and thou shalt make them 
drink of the river of thy pleasures. 
For with thee is the fountain of life ; 
in thy light shall we see light ;" Psa. 
xxxvi. 8, 9. The metaphor of the 
reign, we have shown, is of frequent 
occurrence in the Apocalypse, and in 
other parts of the Bible. See ii. 26, 
27; iii. 21 ; iv. 4; V. 10; xi. 17; XX. 
4, 6. Thus the revelator brings to a 
close the description of the new Je- 
rusalem, commenced at the tenth 
verse of the preceding chapter. Why 
the division of the chapters should 
have been made as it was, we cannot 
imagine. Why were the first five 
verses of this chapter separated from 
that which preceded them ? We adopt 
the language of Professor Stuart : = — 
" What could have induced the author 
of the division of the New Testament 
into chapters to disjoin the first five 
verses, it is difficult to see. They be- 
long inseparably to the preceding de- 
scription. A new chapter should have 
begun with xxii. 6, which commences 
the epilogue to the book. But it is 
useless to complain of these unskilful 
separations now. The Scriptures 
have so long been printed and quoted 
in their present form, that the mistake 
cannot be well retrieved." — (Com., 
ii. 387, note.) 

CONCLUSION OF THE APOCALYPSE. 

We have now come to the epilogue, 
or conclusion, of the work. This is di- 
vided into three parts. 1st. The con- 
cluding remarks of the angel, who 
had been sent by God, " to show unto 
his servants things which must shortly 
come to pass i. 1. The whole book 



CHAPTER XXII. 



373 



sayings are faithful and true. 
And the Lord God of the holy- 
prophets sent his angel to show 
unto his servants the things 
which must shortly be done. 

of Revelation, from the very com- 
mencement of it to the fifth verse of 
chapter xxii., is the communication 
made by that angel to the revelator. 
Then follow the angel's conclud- 
ing remarks. 2d. The remarks of 
the Lord Jesus, confirming what the 
revelator had said, extending from 
verse 12 to verse 20. 3d. The bene- 
diction of the revelator. And, 1st, 
the concluding words of the angel ; 
vers. 6 — 11. 

6. He said unto me. — Since the 
work, in the main, is here completed, 
the angel reassures the revelator of 
the truth of his words. This is the 
same angel mentioned i. 1, who had 
revealed the whole matter of the book ; 

— he said, at the conclusion, to the 
revelator, " The sayings are faithful 
and true," — a solemn declaration of 
their truth and importance. This was 
not an uncommon form of speech. 
See xix. 9 ; xxi* 5. % The Lord God 
of the holy prophets. — Well might the 
angel speak of the Deity in these 
terms. The revelator had himself 
been a diligent student of the proph- 
ets. The great truths that had been 
urged by him had been previously fore- 
told by them. He was himself a proph- 
et, for he foretold future events — 
things which were shortly to come to 
pass. He claimed to be instructed to 
make those communications by the 
Lord God of the holy prophets ; so that 
the same divine character was to be 
ascribed to his book which the Jews 
had been accustomed to ascribe to the 
prophecies of old. ^[ Sent his angel. 

— This Lord God of the holy prophets 
had sent his angel to testify these 
things to John, his servant. See the 
following : " The Revelation of Jesus 
Christ, which God gave unto him, to 
shew unto his servants things which 
must shortly come to pass ; and he 

32 



7 Behold, I come quickly: 
blessed is he that keepeth the 
sayings of the prophecy of this 
book. 

8 And I John saw these 



sent and signified it by his angel unto 
his servant John;" i. 1. Thus we 
see, that he reasserts, at the close of 
the book, what he had declared at its 
beginning. ^[ Shortly be done. — And 
observe, the angel, who opened the 
whole matter to him, showed him 
nothing except what was shortly to 
come to pass. Mark this well. How, 
then, can it be supposed that the prin- 
cipal judgments mentioned in this 
book have not yet taken place ? The 
angel showed unto the revelator only 
"the things which must shortly be 
done." 

7. I come quickly. — Behold, that is, 
take special notice of this fact ; let it 
not be passed by through inattention, 
— "I come quickly." The language 
is here put in the first person, because 
it is precisely the same language 
which Jesus used in reference to the 
same event. See verses 10, 12, 20. 
The coming of Christ was then speed- 
ily to take place. % Blessed is he that 
keepeth the sayings, &c. — Blessed, hap- 
py is he that keepeth the sayings of 
the prophecy of this book.; not hear- 
eth merely, but keepeth. The book of 
Revelation is a prophecy; but the 
events were not far distant. The peo- 
ple of the generation in which the rev- 
elator lived were personally interested 
in them ; they were called upon to 
remember them and keep them ; and 
happy would they be if they did so, 
for the time was at hand. "I come 
quickly." 

8. I John saw, &c. — The revela- 
tor here gives his name, John. That 
John, the apostle, was the author of 
this book, we have clearly shown in 
the introduction, and also in various 
parts of the commentary. He saw 
the things which he had described, he 
saw the visions, the scenery, &c, &c. 
He heard the words which had been 



374 



REVELATION. 



things, and heard them. And 
when I had heard and seen, I 
fell down to worship before the 
feet of the angel which shewed 
me these things. 

9 Then saith he unto me, 



uttered to him. It is a reaffirmation 
that the facts of the book of Revela- 
tion were divinely communicated to 
him. He described them, it is true, 
in his own style and manner ; the im- 
ages were the most of them borrowed 
from the prophetical writings. But 
the message itself, the great truths he 
communicated, he had heard and 
seen. At the very beginning of the 
book, John was commanded to write 
the things which he had seen ; i. 19. 
Some of the things which John saw 
were past, some were then present, 
and some were future, but were short- 
ly to come to pass. ^ I fell down to 
worship. — The revelator adds : "And 
when I had heard and seen," to wit, 
when he had heard and seen all that 
had been revealed to him, he was 
overwhelmed with wonder. He fell 
down to do homage to the angel-reve- 
lator. He seems to have worshipped 
him as a divine person ; he seems to 
have rendered to him the worship 
that belonged to God. His falling 
down was the effect of what he had 
heard and seen. He had been im- 
pressed similarly on a former occa- 
sion j xix. 10. 

9. See thou do it not. — Thus, it 
will be seen, the angel forbid the rev- 
elator worshipping him. The reason 
why worship should not have been 
rendered to the angel was, he was 
fellow-servant to the revelator, and of 
his brethren the prophets, and of them 
which keep the sayings of the book. 
That there was a class of men in the 
Christian church called prophets, see 
1 Cor. xii. 28, 29. Perhaps his mean- 
ing was, " I am like the prophets, 
merely a servant of God, — I am not 
entitled to divine honors more than 
they. Worship not me — worship 
God." 



See thou do it not: for I am 
thy fellow-servant, and of thy 
brethren the prophets, and of 
them which keep the sayings of 
this book : worship God. 

10 And he saith unto me, 

10. Seal not the sayings. — The an- 
gel still continues, but he was near 
the close of his communications ; he 
is about to give his last advice, his 
closing admonition : " Seal not the 
sayings of the prophecy of this book, 
for the time is at hand." To use the 
words of Dr. A. Clarke: "Do not lay 
up these sayings for future genera- 
tions ; they concern the present times 
they must shortly come to pass, for the 
time is at hand.' 1 '' See verse 6. It is a 
well-known fact, that, when important 
events revealed through the prophets 
or inspired men of old were not to be 
fulfilled or accomplished till some very 
remote period, or for a long time 
after the prediction was made, the 
prophets were commanded to seal up 
the roll, or the sayings thereof, be- 
cause the time of fulfilment was dis- 
tant. Thus, in Dan. viii. 26, Gabriel 
says to the prophet, " The vision of 
the evening and the morning, which 
was told, is true ; wherefore, shut thou 
up the vision, for it shall be for many 
days ;" that is, its fulfilment is to be 
at a remote period. Again ; xii. 4, 
9, 12, 13 : " Thou, Daniel, shut up 
the words, and seal the hook, even to the 
time of the end. Blessed is he that 
waiteth, and cometh to the thousand 
three hundred and five and thirty 
days. But go thou thy way till the 
end be ; for thou shalt rest, and stand 
in thy lot at the end of the days.' 5 On 
the other hand, where the events were 
to take place immediately, or very 
soon, the prophet was forbidden to 
seal the sayings of the book ; as in 
the events spoken of in the text and 
context, on which we are now remark- 
ing. See Lightfoot, iii. 368. It 
should not be forgotten, that both at 
the beginning of the Apocalypse and 
at its close, it is insisted that the time 



CHAPTER XXII. 



375 



Seal not the sayings of the 
prophecy of this book : for the 
time is at hand. 

of the fulfilment is at hand. See 
chap. i. 1 — 3 : " The revelation of Je- 
sus Christ, which God gave unto him, 
to show unto his servants things which 
must shortly come to pass; and he 
sent and signified it by his angel unto 
his servant John : who bare record of 
the word of God, and of the testimony 
of Jesus Christ, and of all things that 
he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, 
and they that hear the words of this 
prophecy, and keep those things which 
are written therein : for the time is 
at hand." This was the language 
of the apostles in regard to the advent 
of Christ to judgment. Paul to the 
Romans : " The night is far spent, the 
day is at hand;" xiii. 12. To the 
Philippians : « The Lord is at hand;" 
iv. 5. Peter also testifies to the same 
fact: "But the end of all things is 
at hand : be ye therefore sober, and 
watch unto prayer;" iv. 7. With 
this weight of testimony before us, 
how can we doubt that the advent of 
Christ to judgment transpired very 
shortly after the revelator wrote ? 
Professor Stuart admits that the whole 
Apocalypse, excepting chapters xx. 
and xxi., refers to things that were 
speedily to take place when the reve- 
lator wrote. He says, "We are at 
liberty, or rather, we are obliged, if 
possible, to seek for a fulfilment of the 
predictions in the main body of the 
Apocalypse within a time which is 
not far distant from the period when 
the book was written. If such a ful- 
filment can be found as coincides with 
the periods named in the Apocalypse, 
then what good reason can be offered 
why we should reject it ? Or, rather, 
Why are we not exegetically obliged to 
admit it ? " — (Hints on Prophecy : An- 
dover, 1842 : p. 113.) The main body 
of the Apocalypse ! Why does not 
the professor say the whole book? 
Why should he separate one or two 
chapters from the main drift of the 



11 He that is unjust, let hiui 
be unjust still : and he which is 
filthy, let him be filthy still : 

book, and apply them to the distant 
future ? If the revelator had intended 
to apply them to the distant future, 
would he not have said, These things 
are not speedily to come to pass ? 
these things are to be excepted from 
the great declaration ? But he did no 
such thing. He gave not the slight- 
est hint, in regard to the 20th and 21st 
chapters, that the events therein spo- 
ken of were not speedily to come to 
pass, or to commence to come to pass, 
like all the events mentioned in the 
book. There is but one thing more 
the angel-revelator has to communi- 
cate, and that is stated in the next 
verse. 

11. Let him be unjust still. — This 
passage is supposed, by many, to 
prove, that there can be no change in 
the moral condition of man after death, 
and that those who die in a state of 
rebellion and irreconcilia.tion to God, 
must eternally remain so. But does 
the text declare any such thing ? or, 
can such a sentiment be deduced, 
or even inferred, from the passage, 
taking the whole context into the 
account? We think not. There is 
nothing said in the text or context 
about the death of the body ; nothing 
said about the resurrection to immor- 
tal life ; nothing said about another 
state of existence ; nor anything that 
would naturally lead the reader to 
suppose any other state but the pres- 
ent was at all referred to. The 
whole scope of the context would lead 
to the supposition that the events 
spoken of were then about to trans- 
pire. John was forbidden to seal the 
book, for the very reason that the time 
was at hand. Running through all 
the instructions of Christ and his 
apostles, is this distinct fact, to wit, 
that if persons would not be warned 
of the approaching advent of Christ, 
and prepare for it, they must expect 
to perish. If the Christians would not 



376 



REVELATION 



and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still : and he that 



be watchful and faithful, so as to be 
ready to meet their Lord at his com- 
ing, they were to be involved in the 
same punishments with the unbeliev- 
ers. When their Lord should come, 
they would not find themselves pre- 
pared, and could not therefore enjoy 
the benefits of his coming. If, under 
the mistaken idea that their Lord 
delayed his coming, they were un- 
faithful and disobedient, the Lord 
would come when they looked not 
for him, and in an hour that they 
were not aware of, and cut them 
asunder, and appoint them their por- 
tion with the hypocrites ; Matt. xxiv. 
48 — 51. If men neglect their present 
opportunities of improvement, they 
may afterward desire to gain the 
advantages they have lost, and not 
be able to gain them. This is fully 
shown by Solomon, in Prov. i. 24 — 31. 
Here we see, that, having neglected 
their opportunities of improvement, 
they afterwards saw the need of the 
blessings they had missed. Yet they 
could not gain them. "Then shall 
they call upon me, but I will not 
answer ; they shall seek me early, 
but they shall not find me : for they 
hated knowledge, and did not choose 
to fear the Lord : they would none of 
my counsel : they despised all my 
reproof. Therefore shall they eat of 
the fruit of their own way, and be 
filled with their own devices 28 — 31. 
The punishment was unavoidable. 
They must "eat of the fruit of their 
own way, and be filled with their own 
devices." All this is confirmed by 
the experience of men in this world. 
It is taught us by observation every 
day. The same principle held good 
in the days of Christ. He repeatedly 
assured his disciples that his coming 
should take place in that generation. 
He should come as a thief in the night. 
When the people should say, " Peace 
and safety, then sudden destruction 
cometh upon them, as travail upon a 
woman with child, and they shall not 



escape ;" 1 Thess. v. 3. But it was 
not expected the faithful Christians 
would be thus overtaken. Hence 
Paul says to them, " But ye, brethren, 
are not in darkness, that that day 
should overtake you as a thief. Ye 
are all the children of light, and the 
children of the day : we are not of the 
night, nor of darkness. Though let 
us not sleep, as do others ; but let us 
watch and be sober;" 1 Thess. v. 
4 — 6. The enemies of Jesus it was 
expected of course would be over- 
whelmed in the approaching judg- 
ments; but there was another class 
that would also fall, viz., the unfaith- 
ful and unwatchful disciples. They 
should have their portion with the 
hypocrites. The parable of the vir- 
gins, Matt. xxv. 1, represented the 
wise and foolish Christians — those 
who prepared for their Master's com- 
ing, and those who did not. " At 
midnight there was a cry made, 
Behold, the bridegroom cometh : go 
ye out to meet him. Then all those 
virgins arose, and trimmed their 
lamps. And the foolish saith unto 
the wise, Give us of your oil ; for our 
lamps are gone out. But the wise 
answered, saying, Not so ; lest there 
be not enough for us and you : but go 
ye rather to them that sell, and buy 
for yourselves. And while they went 
to buy, the bridegroom came ; and 
they that were ready, went in with 
him to the marriage : and the door 
was shut. Afterward came also the 
other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, 
open to us. But he answered and 
said, Verily, I say unto you, I know 
you not;" 6—12. That this had re- 
spect to the coming of Christ at the 
destruction of Jerusalem no one can 
doubt. And let it be observed, that 
the unwatchful disciples desired to 
repair the effects of their unw r atchful- 
ness, but they could not, because " he 
that is unjust, let him be unjust still 
and he which is filthy, let him be 
filthy still." The same was true of 



is holy, let him be holy still. 



the open enemies of Jesus, as well as 
of his unfaithful disciples. While 
they were comparatively safe, eating 
and drinking, and making merry, 
they could not profess the name of 
Christ before men ; but when thick 
troubles began to gather upon the 
Jewish church and state, and the 
divine favor began to be manifested 
in an unusual manner in favor of the 
persecuted religion of Jesus, then they 
turned their eyes to him, and cried, 
" Lord, Lord, open the gate of the 
gospel unto us." To these events the 
following words of Christ are appli- 
cable : " Whosoever, therefore, shall 
be ashamed of me, and of my words, 
in this adulterous and sinful genera- 
tion, of him also shall the Son of man 
be ashamed, when he cometh in tlie 
glory of his Father, with the holy 
angels ;" and Jesus assured them that 
this should take place during the 
natural lives of that generation ; Mark 
viii. 38, compared with ix. 1. To 
illustrate this fact, the parable found 
in Luke xiii. 24 — 28 was spoken. 
" When once the master of the house 
is risen up, and hath shut to the door, 
and ye begin to stand without, and to 
knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, 
open unto us, and he shall answer 
and say unto you, I know you not 
whence ye are : then shall ye begin 
to say, We have eaten and drunk in 
thy presence, and thou hast taught 
in our streets. But he shall say, I 
tell you, I know you not whence ye 
are : depart from me, all ye workers 
of iniquity." The purport of this 
advice is, strive to enter now into the 
acceptance and profession of my 
gospel ; be not ashamed of me or my 
doctrine before this sinful generation. 
If you do not embrace the present 
opportunity, the time will come when 
you will regret it. Your nation will 
soon be overthrown with the most 
dreadful calamities ; and then not a 
hair on the heads of my disciples 
shall be hurt. When that time comes, 
it will be too late for you to enter the 
32* 



XXII. 377 
12 And behold, I come 



kingdom of God ; the door will be 
shut ; you will wish you had embraced 
past opportunities ; but it will be of 
no avail ; you will put forth pretences 
and claims to be considered my fol- 
lowers, but you will not have the test 
of true discipleship. At that critical 
time, there cannot be this change of 
character. Christians then will be 
Christians, and enemies must remain 
enemies — the judgment cannot be 
averted. " He that is unjust will then 
be unjust still; he that is righteous 
will be righteous still ; and he that is 
holy will be holy still." We have 
thus finished our examination of the 
words of the angel-revelator. There 
now follows the confirmation by the 
Lord Jesus himself of what the angel 
had said. 

CONFIRMATION EY THE ALFHA AND 
OMEGA. 

There seems to be a striking pro- 
priety that the Lord Jesus should give 
his confirmation of what the revelator 
had said, if the revelator had faith- 
fully delivered his message. Look 
at the first verse of the book once 
more. "The Revelation of Jesus 
Christ, which God gave unto him, to 
show unto his servants things which 
must shortly come to pass ; and he 
sent and signified it by his angel unto 
his servant John." This is the title 
of the book, and would well appear as 
the title-page. The revelation is the 
revelation of Jesus Christ. He re- 
ceived it from his Father. He com- 
municated it to John, by whom it 
was to be communicated unto the 
churches. When John had finished 
his communications, the query would 
naturally arise, has he done his work 
faithfully ? To show that he had 
done so, Jesus gave his confirma- 
tion. 

12. Behold, I come quickly. — Here, 
the first fact which Jesus confirmed, 
was the great fact that his coming 
was to take place quickly. He knew 
well when that event was to happen. 



378 



REVELATION. 



quickly ; and my reward is with 
me, to give every man according 
as his work shall be. 

13 I am Alpha, and Omega, 
the beginning and the end, the 
first and the last. 

14 Blessed are they that do 

As if he had said, " I wish to confirm 
what John has written, especially on 
this point; and therefore I say, " Be- 
hold, I COME QUICKLY." % To give 

every man according as his work shall 
be. — Who can fail here to recall to 
mind the words of Christ, spoken dur- 
ing his flesh ? "For the Son of man 
shall come in the glory of his Father, 
with his angels; and then he shall 
reward every man according to his 
works. Verily I say unto you, there 
be some standing here, which shall 
not taste of death till they see the Son 
of man coming in his kingdom ;" 
Matt. xvi. 27, 28. See, also, Mark viii. 
38 ; ix. 1 ; Luke ix. 26, 27. Jesus 
said his reward was with him, to give 
every man according as his work shall be ; 
i. e., at his coming, which he then said 
was to take place quickly. Is there 
not a close connection, then, between 
this passage and Rev. xx. 12, where 
we read that the dead, small and 
great, stood before God, and were 
judged every man according to his 
works ? 

13. I am Alpha and Omega. — And 
to make his confirmation the more 
solemn, he adds, " I am Alpha and 
Omega, the beginning and the end, 
the first and the last." The phrase 
Alpha and Omega is explained by 
the words which immediately follow. 
Alpha is " the beginning," " the first ;" 
Omega " the end," " the last." Alpha 
was the first and Omega the last let- 
ter of the Greek alphabet. 

14. Blessed are they that do, &c. — 
Mark, those only were promised the 
blessing who did his commandments. 
Not every one that said, Lord, Lord, 
should enter into the kingdom of 
heaven, but "he that doeth the will of 
my Father which is in heaven Matt. 



his commandments, that they 
may have right to the tree of 
life, and may enter in through 
the gates into the city. 

15 For without are dogs, and 
sorcerers, and whoremongers, 
and murderers, and idolaters, 

vii. 21. *[[ Have right to the tree of 
life. — They shall partake of the tree 
of life. " To him that overcometh 
will I give to eat of the tree of life, 
which is in the midst of the paradise 
of God ;" Rev. ii. 7. This figure of 
the tree of life is taken from the account 
of the tree of life in the garden of Eden, 
Gen. ii. 22 — 24. In describing the 
heavenly city, new Jerusalem, we 
have seen that John placed the tree of 
life in the midst of it ; xxii. 2. To 
have right to the tree of life was to 
have right to the blessings of the new 
Jerusalem, or, in other words, of the 
gospel kingdom into which the faith- 
ful Christians were to enter. They 
were to "enter in through the gates 
into the city." How much is said in 
the New Testament about " entering 
into life," " in at the strait gate," " into 
the kingdom of heaven," "into the joy 
of the Lord," "into rest." These ex- 
pressions all mean the same thing. 
There is a great variety of metaphor, 
but the same intent in all. The holy 
city represented the gospel covenant. 
Blessed were they who entered in. 
See the long note on Rev ii. 7. 

15. Without are dogs, and sorcerers, 
&cc. — Those who did not enter through 
faith and obedience into the city, must, 
of course, remain without. The city 
was full of light ; and therefore those 
without are said, by way of contrast, 
to be in " outer darkness ;" i. e., they 
were outside of the kingdom. They 
had not passed through the gates into 
the city; Matt. viii. 12; xxii. 13; 
xxv. 30. Unbelievers and unfaithful 
professors were said to stand without ; 
and after the troubles began, and it 
was too late for them to change their 
position, they knocked earnestly for 
admission ; Luke xiii. 25. These en- 



CHAPTER XXII. 



379 



and whosoever loveth and mak- 
eth a lie. 

16 I Jesus have sent mine 
angel to testify unto you these 
things in the churches. I am 
the root and the offspring of Da- 
vid, and the bright and morning- 
star. 

17 And the Spirit and the 

emies of Jesus, both secret and avow- 
ed, were represented by anything that 
was vile. The dog, being an unclean, 
furious animal, is conspicuous among 
the metaphors. Paul said, "Beware 
of dogs, beware of evil-workers, be- 
ware of the concision;" Phil. iii. 2. 
Compare with this verse, Rev. xxi. 8, 
27. 

16. To testify unto you these things. 
— This was in the most direct strain 
of approval. He assumed the respon- 
sibility of what had been said. He 
was coming quickly to judge the na- 
tions ; the good should enter into the 
kingdom and be happy ; the opposite 
class should remain without and be 
punished. These were the great 
points that had been insisted on 
through the whole Apocalypse. Hence 
Jesus said, " I have sent mine angel 
to testify unto you these things, in the 
churches." f[ lam the root, &cc. — And 
to show that he had authority to speak, 
he adds, " I am the root and the off- 
spring of David, and the bright and 
morning-star." See Rev. v. 5, and 
the note there. 

JESUS' INVITATION TO THE NEW JERU- 
SALEM. 

17. Whosoever will, let him come. — 
All are invited to come. The invita- 
tion goes out to all, from the highest 
authority, — Come . The Spirit and the 
Bride say, Come. The Spirit had spok- 
en to the churches through John, and 
what the Spirit said was of the utmost 
importance. Hence the oft-repeated 
injunction, " He that hath an ear to 
hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith 
unto the churches ;" ii. 7, 11, 17, 29 ; 



bride say, Come. And let him 
that heareth say, Come. And 
let him that is athirst come. 
And whosoever will, let him 
take of the water of life freely. 

18 For I testify unto every 
man that heareth the words of 
the prophecy of this book, If any 
man shall add unto these things, 

iii. 6, 13, 22. The Spirit saith,— 
Come. And the Bride also, the Lamb's 
wife, saith to all men, Come ; Rev. 
xxi. 9. Let the invitation be repeat- 
ed. Let him who hath an ear to hear 
it, repeat it. If Water of life. — Let 
him that is athirst come, for it is the 
water of life that is proffered. The 
gospel is a blessing ; it meets the 
wants of man. When it is represent- 
ed by bread, the hungry are invited ; 
when by water, or milk, or wine, the 
thirsty are called; Isa. lv. 1. When 
by rest, the weary and heavy laden 
are entreated to come ; Matt. xi. 28 — 
30. The gospel is presented in the 
most alluring manner ; not as a lux- 
ury, but as a substantial necessity, 
without which men cannot live. One 
of the most expressive figures is that 
of the " water of life;" Jer. ii. 13; 
John iv. 10—15 ; Rev. vii. 17 ; xxi. 6. 
This treasure, so precious, is open to 
all. There is no restriction. " Who- 
soever will, let him take of the wa- 
ter of life freely." It would be impos- 
sible to give a more general, or more 
earnest, or more alluring invitation. 
There is sufficient for all men in the 
new Jerusalem. There are not mere- 
ly a few drops of water, a scanty sup- 
ply, but a river, — " a pure river of 
water of life, clear as crystal, proceed- 
ing out of the throne of God and of 
the Lamb ;" xxii. 1. 

THE APOCALYPSE GUARDED AGAINST 
CORRUPTION. 

18. If any man shall add unto these 
things. — The prophecies of the book 
of Revelation having thus been com- 
pleted, Jesus, the Alpha and Omega, 



380 



REVELATION. 



God shall add unto him the 
plagues that are written in this 
book : 

19 And if any man shall take 
away from the words of the 

was desirous to preserve them from 
being corrupted. The Christians pos- 
sibly might be tempted to corrupt 
them, for some did corrupt the word 
of God; 2 Cor. ii. 17. Of course the 
avowed enemies of the church could 
not corrupt the sacred writings ; for 
they, being known as enemies, would 
not have the power to give currency 
to their deceits. But it was the un- 
stable professors who might do this, 
and so wrest the Scriptures to their 
own destruction ; 2 Pet. iii. 16. And 
if they did so, either by adding to the 
book, or taking away from it, what 
fate awaited them ? Ans. They 
would have their portion with the 
hypocrites, for they would lose their 
part in the holy city, and from all the 
blessings written in the book, and 
there would be added to them the 
plagues that are written in the book. 
"What are the plagues that are written 
in this book? Have we not shown 
that they are not to be referred to the 
immortal state ? See them spoken of, 
ix. 20, and compare with the preced- 
ing part of the chapter. See, also, xi. 
6, where it is said the two witnesses 
have power to smite the earth with the 
plagues. See, again, xvi. 9. If the 
reader will peruse the whole of the 
sixteenth chapter, particularly the first 
verse, he will see that these plagues 
were poured out "zipon the earth." 
Again, see xviii. 4, 8, where we are 
told, that " her plagues come in one 
day, death,and mourning, and famine ; 
and she shall be utterly burned with 
fire ; for strong is the Lord God, who 
judgeth her." "Were not these plagues 
on the earth ? But let us look once 
more. In xv. 1 we read, " And I saw 
another sign in heaven, great and mar- 
vellous, seven angels having the seven 
last plagues; for in them is filled 
up the wrath of God" Again, in 



book of this prophecy, God shall 
take away his part out of the 
book of life, and out of the holy 
city, and from the things which 
are written in this book. 



verse 6, it is said that " The seven an- 
gels came out of the temple having 
the seven [last] plagues. See verses 
7 and 8. In the next chapter [xvi.] 
we read of the manner in which these 
seven angels poured out the seven 
"last plagues;" and a slight exam- 
ination will show that they were all 
poured out upon the earth. " And I 
heard a great voice out of the temple, 
saying to the seven angels, Go your 
ways, and pour out the vials of the 
wrath of God upon the earth." The 
first vial was poured out upon the 
earth, meaning on the land; verse 2. 
The second was poured out upon the 
sea; verse 3. The third was poured 
out upon the rivers and fountains 
of water ; verse 4. " The fourth angel 
poured out his vial upon the sun ;" 
verses 8, 9. " The fifth angel poured 
out his vial upon the seat of the 
beast ;" verses 10, 11. " The sixth 
angel poured out his vial upon the great 
river Euphrates ;" verses 15, 16. 
"And the seventh angel poured out 
his vial into the air;" verses 17 — 21. 
These were the seven angels having 
the seven last plagues, and this was 
the manner in which the seven last 
plagues were poured out. They em- 
braced all the judgments that were to 
be inflicted on the persecutors of 
Christianity. If any other plagues 
are denounced in the Apocalypse, 
which remain yet to be fulfilled, these 
were not the last. But they are ex- 
pressly said to be the last, meaning the 
last plagues of the Apocalypse, and 
they were all poured on the earth. If 
any judgments denounced in that book 
yet remain to be fulfilled in the future 
state, then the revelator made an error 
when he said the plagues he described 
were the seven last plagues. Now 
when it is said, " If any man shall add 
unto these things, God shall add unto 



CHAPTER XXII. 



381 



20 He which testifieth these 
things saith, Surely, I come 
quickly : Amen. Even so, 
come, Lord Jesus. 

him the plagues that are written in this 
book," — what other plagues can be 
referred to than those which are enu- 
merated above ? In the interpretation 
we have given of this subject, we are 
confirmed by two of the best critics. 
Hammond paraphrases the two verses 
as follows : " As for all those to whom 
this prophecy will come, I conjure 
them all, that they change not a tittle 
of it, and withal, that they look upon 
it as the last authoritative prophecy 
that is likely to come from heaven, 
to be a rule of faith to the church. 
What is here said, is decreed and set- 
tled immutable ; no man shall be able 
to avert it ; and whosoever shall go 
about to infuse any other expectations 
into men than what are agreeable to 
these visions, God shall bring on him 
the judgments that are here denounced 
against God's greatest enemies. And 
so in like manner, whosoever shall 
derogate anything from the author- 
ity of this prophecy, or take out 
any part of it, or occasion men's not 
receiving the admonition of Christ 
here contained, in every part thereof, 
God shall cast him off, throw him out 
of the church, account him incapable 
of all the blessings which are here 
promised to the faithful Christians." 
And the learned Grotius, in his " An- 
notations," speaks as follows : " God 
shall add unto him the plagues : by the 
plagues are to be understood as well 
those in chapter vii., ix., x., and xi., 
as those in chapter xvi., xvii., and 
xviii.; of which one portion relates 
to the Jews, and the other to the 
Roman empire. And out of the holy 
city : he shall not be a member of the 
church, but shall be cast out, as one 
making a lie." Let us remember the 
solemn assurance which Solomon has 



21 The grace of our Lord 
Jesus Christ be with you all. 
Amen. 



left on record : " Every word of God 
is pure ; he is a shield unto them that 
put their trust in him. Add thou not 
unto his words, lest he reprove thee, 
and thou be found a liar Prov. xxx. 
5, 6. Here the closing benediction 
would have come, but the Lord Jesus 
embraced the last opportunity to de- 
clare that his coming should take 
place speedily. See the succeeding 
verse. 

20. He which testifieth. — Jesus had 
said, (verse 18,) " I testify unto every 
man," &c. ; and hence the expres- 
sion, "He who testifieth these 
things saith, surely," &c. I come 
quickly. — And what is it that is here 
distinctly testified? It is the great 
fact of the near approaching coming 
of Christ. " I come quickly." Such 
were the closing words of Jesus. 
"Amen ; even so, come, Lord Jesus," 
said the revelator. Was there any 
fact disclosed in the whole Bible that 
was insisted on with more earnest- 
ness than that of the nearness and im- 
mediateness of Christ's coming? In 
the chapter we have now considered, 
we find John first declaring it, verses 
6 and 7. Then the angel-revelator 
repeats it, ver. 10. Then the Lord 
Jesus, on his part, gives the same as- 
surance, ver. 12, and adds his whole 
authority to sustain that declaration, 
ver. 13. And finally, in closing, ap- 
parently with the purpose to assert it 
with double force, and to make it the 
main point on which the minds of the 
Christians of that age should dwell, 
he says, "SURELY, I come QUICK- 
LY." 

We close by quoting the last verse 
of the book, " The grace of our Lord 
Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen" 



IND 



EX. 



Abaddoo and Apollyon, 173. 
Accuser cast down, 207. 
Alleluia, meaning of, 311, 314. 
Altar measured, 185. 

Angel of the churches, 90, 96, 10S ; angel 
flying through midst of heaven, 168; an- 
gel of bottomless pit, 173 ; angel of the 
waters,271; angel, mighty, took, up a stone, 
309 ; angel standing in the sun, 321 ; an- 
gel that bound the dragon, 325. 

Angels, 75, 90, 134, 135, 141, 142, 178; round 
about the throne, 159, 160 ; doctrine of in 
Apocalypse, 134, 135; of the elements, 
271. 

Antipas, (the faithful martyr,) 102, 103. 

Apocalypse, regarded as a dark book, 3 ; rea- 
sons for this, 3, 4; not wholly dark, 4; 
proofs of its divine character, 7, 8 ; its 
claims, 11; written by John, 11, 12, 75, 
76, 82, 93, 115, 117, 118, 359, 374; testi- 
mony of antiquity to that effect, 12 — 18; 
internal evidence, 18; its author a He- 
brew, 18; and a Christian, 18, 19; a dil- 
igent student of the Old Testament, 19 ; 
learned in the school of Christ, 20; the 
Apocalypse a prophecy, 21 ; written for 
the benefit of the churches, 21, 22 ; John's 
teachings agree with those of the rest of 
the apostles, 22 ; presumption it was writ- 
ten by one of them, 22; internal proofs 
that it was written by John, 23 — 31 ; man- 
ifestly a plan in its metaphors, 281, 282, 
conclusion of 372; guarded against cor- 
ruption, 379, 330. 

Apocalypse, date of, see under Date. 
" plan of, see under Plan. 
" a prophecy like that of Daniel, 
145. 

Armageddon, meaning of, 279. 
Armies of the King of kings, 320. 
Asia, sense of in Apocalypse, 83. 

Babylon, fall of proclaimed, 238, 297; what is 
meant thereby, 239, 280; Babylon the 
Great, the harlot's title, 287; the ancient 
city of, 237, 288; stands for Rome, 288, 
297, 298 ; Christians exhorted to come out 
of, 299; her sins exceeding great, 299; 
remembered of God, 300; punished, 300, 
301 ; lived deliciously but not happily, 
302; boasted that she sat a queen, 302; 
her plagues described, 302, 303; fall of, 
304. 

Balaam, doctrine of, 103. 

Beast (seven-headed) ascends from the bottom- 
less pit, 189 ; made war against Chris- 
tians, 190, 218; rose up out of the sea, 



212; what is represented thereby, 212, 
213; worshipped, 216, 218; blasphemed 
God, 217, 218; image of appeared to 
have life, 227; impresses his mark on 
men, 227 ; interrupts commerce, 228 ; his 
number, 229, 230; victory over, 259, and 
over his image and mark, 260; seat of, 
fifth vial poured on, 274 ; all the world won- 
der at, 291 ; makes war on the King of 
kings, 322, 323 ; is taken and cast into 
the lake of fire, 323, 340. 

Beast (second) comes up out of the earth, 220 ; 
auxiliary to the first, 221 ; doeth great 
wonders, 221, 222; affects to perform 
miracles, 226,277, 278; incites rulers to 
battle, 277, 278. 

Beasts, four, explained as hieroglyphics, 129, 
130, 131, 263, 264, 313, 314. 

Bed of affliction, 106. 

Before God, see under Presence. 

Beginning of the creation of God, 117, 118. 

Blasphemy, meaning of, 96 ; names of on head 
of beast, 214; Romans guilty of, 274, 
275. 

Blessed are the dead, 248, et seq. 

Blood of Jesus, how to be understood as an em- 
blem, 78, 160, 207, 208. 

Blood, hail and fire, 165; flowing to horse- 
bridles. 255, 256 ; various metaphors of 
blood, 256, 269, 288, 289 ; found in Baby- 
lon, 310 ; two witnesses could turn water 
into, 189 ; rivers and fountains became, 
270 ; men are made to drink, 271, 272 ; 
Christ's vesture dipped in, 319, 320. 

Book of Life, 111, 112, 219, 353. 

Book, written within and on back side, 133 ; 
see sealed book. 

Book, little, 178, 179; eaten up, 183; effects 
of, 183. 

Books were opened when the kingdom of 
Christ began, 348, 349, 352, 353. 

Bottomless pit, 69 ; key of, 326 ; metaphor ex- 
plained, 326, 329, 330. 

Campbell, Dr., on sign of the Son of man, 80; 

on worshipping demons, 176; on word 

Mystery, 289. 
Candlestick removed, meaning of, 92. 
Candlesticks, seven golden, 84. 
Censer of gold, 164. 

Channing, Dr.'s, sentiments on the paternal 

character of God, 273. 
Chastisement, benevolent and paternal, 121. 
Christ, glory due to him, 79; appearing of, 

100 , reign of, see under Reign. 
Clarke. Adam, on God's pleasure, 132; on 

judging quick and dead, 346. 



384 



INDEX. 



Cloud, angel clothed with, 17S ; as a veil of 

divine glory, 265. 
Clouds, coming in, 252. 
Come out of Babylon, 299. 
Coming of Christ, metaphor explained, 79 — 81 ; 

speedily to take place, see under Quickly 

and Shortly ; like that of a thief, 109. 
Confess his name, 112. 
Countenance as the sun, 86 ; see Face. 
Court of the Gentiles, measured not, 185, 186. 
Craftsmen found no more in Babylon, 309. 
Creation of God, beginning of, 117, 118. 
Crown of Life, 99—101, 116: of twelve stars, 

198. 

Crowns of gold, Christians wear, 126 ; many 

on head of Christ, 319. 
Cruel en, on word eternal, 341. 
Cup, golden, in woman's hand, 2S6. 

Date of Apocalypse, important that it should 
be settled, 36 ; nature of the testimony 
touching this matter, 33; historical evi- 
dence considered, 39 — 41 ; internal evi- 
dence, 41 — 63 ; addressed to seven churches 
in Asia, 41 ; its character, form of ad- 
dress, warnings, encouragements like 
those of the New TestamentTbooks, known 
to have been written before the destruc- 
tion of Jerusalem, 42 — 44; all the signs 
of the destruction of Jerusalem mentioned 
by our Lord, we find in the Apocalypse, 45 
—48 ; its style agrees with that of the other 
books of the New Testament in regard to 
the time and circumstances of our Lord's 
coming, 48 — 54 ; the Jews are spoken of 
therein as being in existence as a nation, 
54, 55 ; Jerusalem referred to as standing, 
55 ; the temple also, 56 ; there are proph- 
ecies of the very event of the destruc- 
tion of Jerusalem, 57; the references to 
the Roman emperors is of such a nature as 
to prove it to have been written before the 
destruction of Jerusalem, 58 — 60; it seems 
to have been alluded to in the Epistles of 
Peter and the Epistle to the Hebrews, 60 ; 
the age of John forbids our believing he 
wrote the Apocalypse in the time of Domi- 
tian, 62, 63; recapitulation of the evi- 
dences, 63—65. 

Day of wrath, 154. 
" of the Lord, 154 ; meaning of, 278. 

Days, a thousand, two hundred and three score, 
188, 203 ; three and a half, 190. 

Dead blessed, 243; different senses in which 
the dead are spoken of, 249; works fol- 
low them, 250. 

Dead bodies of witnesses lay in the streets, 
190. 

Dead, small and great, judgment of had 
come, 194, 346; how the phrase " rest of 
the dead " is to be understood, 335 ; Christ 
in his gospel kingdom judged the quick 
and the dead, 346 ; Gentiles were said to 
be dead, 347; reasons why this judgment 
of the dead cannot be placed in the immor- 
tal state, 347, 348; the judgment of the 
dead commenced when Christ came in 
his kingdom, and when the kingdom was 
set up, 34S; proofs that it was on the 
earth, 349, 350 ; how the metaphor of 



judging the dead occurred to the revela- 

tor, 350. 
Death, see Second. 
" in spiritual sense, the state of the 

church in Sardis. 109. 
Death and hell deliver up the dead, 354. 
Demons, what they were, 276, 277. 
Depths of Satan, 107. 

Devil, (diabolos,') how the word is used in the 
Apocalypse, 97, 93 ; signified the persecut- 
ing power, 98 ; same as dragon, 207, 209, 
327, 329, 330; cast into the lake of fire 
and brimstone, 339, 340. 

Devils (daimonia') worshipped, 176. 

Doddridge, Dr.'s, opinion of the imagery of the 
Apocalypse, 127 ; on the four beasts, 129. 

Dogs and sorcerers, 378. 

Door open, 114; opened in heaven, 123. 

Double punishment, means full and adequate, 
301. 

Dragon, that old serpent, 5; great red drag- 
on appears, 199 ; scriptural sense of the 
metaphor, 199, 200; what the dragon of 
the Apocalypse represents, 200 ; would de- 
vour the man-child, 200, 201 ; fights 
against Michael, 204 ; cast out of heaven, 
204 ; certainly signifies human adversa- 
ries, 205, 206, 327, 328; wroth with the 
woman, 211 ; gave power to the beast, 
214; worshipped, 216; same as the old 
serpent, the Devil and Satan, 327 ; but one 
dragon in the Apocalypse, 328 ; the dragon 
of the 12th and 20th chapters is the same 
power, 323, 329 ; shut up in the bottomless 
pit, 329, 330 ; cast into the lake of fire and 
brimstone, 339, 340. 

Dust cast on the head, a sign of affliction, 307. 

Dwell among men, manner in which God does, 
161. 

Eagle's wings to help the woman, 209, 210. 
Earth helped the woman, 211. 
Earthquakes, metaphorical use of, 151 , 279. 2S0. 
Earth and heaven fled away, 344 ; sense of the 

metaphor, 344, 345. 
" Ear to hear" explained, 93, 101. 
Eat up the litle book, 183. 
Egypt put for Jerusalem, 190. 
Elders, four-and-twenty, 125, 126, 132, 313. 
End of world, or age, 253. 
Ephesus, history of the church at, 89—95. 
Ephod and girdle, 84, 85. 
Epistles to the seven churches, 88. 
Eternal ; see under Forever and ever. 
Euphrates, the river described, 174; four 

angels at, loosed. 174; sixth vial poured 

on, 275. 

Expositor, editor of, on date of Apocalypse. 

37, 38. 
Eye-salve, 120. 

Eyes as a flame of fire, 85, 319. 

Face as the sun, 86, 178. 

False apostles, 90, 91. 

Fearful and unbelieving, 363. 

Feed the flock of Christ, 162. 

Feet like fine brass, 85; like pillars of fire, 

178 ; on the sea and on the earth, meaning 

of, 179, 180. 
Fine linen. 316. See under White, 



INDEX, 



385 



Fire, a figure of judgments, 164, 165, 253, 333; 
proceeds from the mouth of witnesses. 188 ; 
and brimstone, 165; persecutors tormented 
in, 241, 242; certainly refers to temporal 
judgments, 280. 
First begotten, 73. 
" love abated, 91, 92, 
" fruits, use of the expression, 235. 
" resurrection ; see Resurrection. 
Five months, 171, 173. 

Foreheads, the hundred and forty-four thousand 
sealed in, 157—159, 232, 233. 287 ; follow- 
ers of beast marked there, 227, 223, 287 ; 
high priest wore his mitre there, 287. 

Forever and ever, scriptural use of the term, 
245, 246, 264, 312, 313, 341. 

Former things passed away, 361. 

Fornication, metaphorically spoken of, 106, 
234, 235, 284, 303. 

Forty-two months, 186, 217 

Foundation of the world, sense of expression, 
219. 

Fountains, living, 162. 

Four and twenty seats and elders, 125, 126, 

132, 313. 
Furnace of fire, 253. 

Gifts, sending of, a sign of hilarity, 190. 

Gnawed their tongues, 275. 

God, his justice and rectitude declared, 273. 

Gog' and Magog, 337, 338. 

Gold as a metaphor, 119, 120. 

Golden girdles, 263. 

Gospel everlasting, 236. 

Guile, not found in true Christians, 235, 236. 

Hail, immensely great, 231 ; mingled with fire 

and blood, 165. 
Hair, white like wool, 85. 
Hallelujah, meaning of, 311. 
Hammond, Dr., on the speedy fulfilment of 

the Apocalypse, 73 ; on the pouring of the 

seven vials, 270. 
Hand, lifted up in oath, 180. 
Harps used in worship, 139, 140; scriptural 

account of, 233. 
Harvest of the earth, 253 ; same as the end of 

the world, or age, 253. 
Heads ; see Seven. 

Heaven, meaning of, 123; Jewish opinion of, 
163, 307, 303, 311, 314; opened, 313; lo- 
cal heaven and new Jerusalem, 325, 326; 
the two witnesses could shut, 189 ; war in, 
203 ; dragon cast out, 204 ; reaching to, 
meaning of, 299. 

Heavens depart as a scroll. 152. 

Hell and death. 87, 143. 

Holy City, 359. 

Horns, 134. 200. 213, 292, 294. 

Horse, white, Jesus rides on, 146, 147, 318; 
red, represents war, 147; black, repre- 
sents famine, 147; pale, represents pesti- 
lence and death, 148, 149. 

Horses of eastern cavalry fearfully described, 
172; heads like scorpions, 172 ; like lions, 
175; breastplates of fire, 175; breathed 
fire, smoke and brimstone, 175; tails like 
serpents, 176. 

Hunger no more, 161, 162. 

Hour, day, month, year, 174. 

33 



Idols, things sacrificed to, not to be eaten, 
105, 106. 

Image of beast appeared to have life, 227. 
Incense for prayer, 164. 

Islands, metaphorical use of, 154; moved out 
of their places, 280, 281. 



Jasper stone, 365, 367. 

Jerusalem, destruction of foretold, 145, 146, 
163; trodden down of Gentiles, 186; tenth 
part fell, 191. 

Jesus at the throne of God, 202. See, also, un- 
der Christ. 

Jews, different senses in which men were, 96, 
97, 114, 115. 

Jezebel, the woman. 105, 106. 

John was the author of the Apocalypse, 8, 75, 
76, 82, 93, 115, 117, 118, 359, 374; ele- 
ments of his character, 23, 24 ; his diction 
clearly traceable in the Apocalypse, 25 — 
27; his favorite metaphors occur there 
frequently, as light lor truth, 27; sons of 
God, 28 ; Christ a Lamb, 23 ; the church 
as the bride, 23 ; water for the truth, 29 ; 
manna, or food, for the gospel, 30 ; blood 
for the cleansing power of truth. 31 ; ob- 
jections to his being the author of the 
Apocalypse considered, 32 — 35. See, also, 
under Apocalypse. 

Juda, tribe of. Jesus came from, 136, 137. 

JUDGMENT, begins simultaneously with set- 
ting up the kingdom of Christ, 192 — 194, 
351 ; is on the earth, 195, 196; the hour 
of had come. 237 ; what is the judgment 
day, 233 ; how Christ judges men. 238 ; 
scriptural doctrine of judgment, 261 ; 
Christ's throne of judgment^set up on the 
earth, 343, 344 ; at the time of the estab- 
lishment of his kingdom, 345 ; judgment 
of quick and dead was judgment of 
the Jews and Gentiles, 346 ; opposed to 
the current sense of Scripture to place it 
in the immortal state, 347 ; it began when 
Christianity began, 343; it was surely on 
the earth, 349 ; where the revelator found 
his metaphor of the judgment of the dead, 
350. See, also, under the word Dead. 

Judgments are made manifest, 260 ; are in the 
earth, 263, 274 ; are true and righteous, 
271—274, 312, 318. 

Key of David, 113 ; of bottomless pit, 169, 326 ; 

keys of hell and death, 87. 
Kill with death, sense of, 106. 
Kingdom of Christ set up in power, 192, 193, 

345, 346. 

Kingdoms of this world become kingdoms of 

Christ, 182, 192, 193. 
King of kings and Lord of lords, 293, 321. 
Kings and priests, sense of the figure, 79, 

141. 

Kings of the East, 276. 

Lake of fire explained, 101, 102, 323, 324, 340, 

355, 363, 364. 
Lamb at the throne, 138; worshipped, 142 — 

144, 159, 160; opened the seals, 146; 

wrath of, 154 ; cleansing power of hia 

blood, 160; leads to living fountains, 162 ; 



386 



INDEX. 



slain from foundation of the world, 219 ; 
stood on Mount Zion, 232 ; followed by the 
faithful, 235 ; song of and of Moses, 260 ; 
ten kings made war with, 293; marriage 
of, 315 ; wife of, 315, 316 ; marriage sup- 
per of, 317. 

Laodicea, church at, 116 — 122. 

Last plagues ; see Plagues. 

Lift up the hand in oath, 180. 

Lightfoot on the imagery of chapter iv. of the 
Apocalypse, 127; on the six seals, 152, 
153; on the command to reap, 252, 253; 
on our Saviour's practice of speaking ac- 
cording to the popular language, 276 ; on 
the terms used to describe the destruction 
of Jerusalem, 344, 345. 

Lightning used metaphorically, 279. 

Light of a candle not seen in Babylon, 310. 

Linen, 316 ; see under White. 

Livest and art dead, 109. 

Locusts, the metaphor for an army, 171 ; have 
power of scorpions, 171 ; like horses pre- 
pared for battle, 172. 

Lord God Omnipotent reigneth, 314. 

Lord's day, 82. 

Love, Christian, what it should be, 91, 92. 
Lowth, Bishop, on metaphor of the heavenly 

bodies, 151. 
Lukewarmness condemned, 118. 

Macknight shows that our Lord's images are 
sometimes founded on heathen notions, 
97, 351 ; on the judging of the quick and 
dead, 346. 

Manna hidden, 103. 

Mark of beast, 227, 240, 241. 

Marriage of the Lamb, 315, 317. 

Martyrs, souls of. live again, 190, 191, 333, 
334. 

Measure the temple of God, 185. 

Merchandise and merchants of spiritual Baby- 
lon, 305, 306. 

Metaphors not to be explained in every point, 
109, 278, 279. 

Michael fights asrainst the dragon, 204. 

Miracles, false, performed by beast, 222, 226 ; 
true miracles defended, 222 — 225; they 
fully prove the divine character of the 
Bible, 223, 224. 

Moon, metaphorical use of, 151 ; under the 
woman's feet, 198. 

Moore, Asher, Rev., on Revelation xiv. 13, 
(251.) 

Morning Star, 107, 108. 
Moses and the Lamb, song of. 260. 
Mountain of fire cast down, 165, 166. 
Mountains and islands, metaphorical use of, 

154, 280, 281. 
Mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, 

216. 

Multitude which no man could number, 159. 
Mystery, meaning of, 88, 182, 239 ; of God fin- 
ished, 181. 

Name, new, 104, 116; of Christ, written on 
believers, 116; of believers no man knew, 
104 ; of Christ no man knew, 319. 

Names put for persons, 110. 

Nations angry at coming of Christ, 194. 

Nero, supposed reference to, 58 — 60, 220; a 



great persecutor, 271 ; singular belief con- 
cerning him, 290, 292. 
Newcomb, Archbishop, on coming of Christ, 
80. 

New name, 104, 116; song, what it was, 140, 
141, 233, 234; sung by the hundred and 
forty and four thousand, 234. 

New, all things are so in New Jerusalem, 361, 
362. 

New heaven and earth, 357; how explained by 
Isaiah, 358 ; by Apostle Peter, 358. 

New Jerusalem, 116, 161, 182, 184; comes 
down from heaven, 359; the Lamb's bride, 
360; wife, 365; is the tabernacle of God, 
360 ; in it he dwells with men, 360; wipes 
away all tears, 361 ; everything is made 
new, 361 ; the inhabitants drink of the 
water of life, 362; fearful and unbelieving 
enter not there, 363, 364 ; but the saved 
only, 364 ; is a great city, 365 ; full of the 
glory of God, 365 ; light like the hue of 
the Jasper stone, 365 ; it had a wall great 
and high, 366 ; twelve gates, three on each 
side, 366 ; twelve foundations, 366, 367 ; 
its dimensions twelve thousand furlongs, 
367 ; the wall like the jasper, 367; rich like 
pure gold, 367 ; foundations garnished with 
all manner of precious stones, 367, 368 ; 
the gates were pearls, 368 ; the street was 
pure transparent gold, 363; no temple 
therein, 363 ; save Jesus — a living temple, 
368 ; no need of the sun, 368, ; for the 
glory of God did lighten it, 368 ; the saved 
only inhabit it, 369; gates shall not be 
shut, 369 ; nothing that defileth can enter 
in, 369 ; river of water of life runs through 
it, 370; tree of life grows there, 370; no 
curse there, 371 ; throne of God is there, 
371 ; redeemed shall see his face, 372 ; 
God shall give them light, 372. 

Nicolaitanes, deeds of, hated, 92, 93, 103. 

Number of the beast, 229, 230. 

Olive trees, (two,) 188. 

One hour, meaning of, 307. 

Open door ; see Door. 

Overcometh, meaning of, 93, 101, 111, 363. 



Paradise, sense of the expression, 94, 95. 
Parkhurst on the word Mystery, 289. 
Patmos, the isle of, 82. 
Pergamos, epistle to the church there, 102. 
Philadelphia, epistle to the church there, 112. 
116. 

" Pierced him," use of the expression, 81. 
Pillar in temple of God, 116. 
Pit, see Bottomless. 

Plagues, put for judgments on the Jews, 176, 
189 ; the seven last, 258 ; wrath of God 
filled up in them, 258, 259 ; angels come 
out of the temple with them, 263; inflict- 
ed on spiritual Babylon, 302, 303; threat- 
ened on those who should add to the word, 
380, 381. 

Plan of the Apocalypse, 67 ; four parts and con- 
tents of each, 67; how the chapters are 
apportioned to each, 68; circumstantial 
account of the divisions, 69 — 71 ; violated 
by false interpretations, 356. 



INDEX. 



387 



Possession demoniacal, not taught in the Scrip- 
tures, 276, 277. 

Precious stones, 124, 125, 367, 368. 

Presence of God and the Lamb, scriptural 
views of, 242—244, 352. 

Prince, &cf, 78. 

Prophecy, concerning destruction of Jerusa- 
lem, the revelator's guide, 145, 146, 163, 
169. 

Prophecy, second of the Apocalypse, 183, 134, 



Quickly, Christ's coming to take place, 103, 
115, 373, 375, 377, 378, 331. See, also, un- 
der Shortly. 

Raiment; see under White. 

Rainbow round about the throne, 124; on head 

of angel, 178. 
Reached to heaven, meaning of, 299. 
Reaping commanded from the temple to be 

done, 253. 
Reed like unto a rod, 185. 
Reign of Christ, believers join in, 121, 122, 126 ; 

on the earth,. 141; begins with power, 

193, 194; during the thousand years, 332, 

333, 334. 

Rejoicing in judgments of men, 307, 308. 
Remember iniquities, meaning of, 300. 
Repent, sense of, 103, 109. 
Resurrection, first, 336. 
Revelation, why the book is so called, 73. 
Riches, the true kind, 96, 119, 120; the false, 
118, 119. 

Righteousness, true nature of, 316, 317. 
Robinson, Professor, on word •' Everlasting," 
341. 

Rod of iron, 107, 201, 320, 321. 
Roman armies war against Jerusalem, 177, 178. 
Rome signified by Babylon, 240 ; by the beast, 
291, 292; destruction of foretold, 295. 

Sackcloth, witnesses clothed in, 188. 
Salvation is come, 207. 
Sardis, account of church at, 103 — 112. 
Satan, meaning of, 102. 
Saved, (the,) dwell in New Jerusalem, 369. 
Scorpions, 171. 
Sea gave up the dead, 353. 
Sealed book, 133; is opened, 135, 139. 
Sealing of an hundred and forty and four thou- 
sand, 156, 157. 
Sea of glass, 123, 259. 
Seal not the saying3, reasons therefor, 374. 
Seal up, as of a roll or book, 180. 
Seat of Satan, 102. 

Second death, 101, 102, 336, 355, 364. 

Serpent same as dragon, or devil, 210, 327 — 
329 ; casts water from his mouth, 210, 21 1. 

SEVEN angels, (trumpet,) 163, 164; seven 
angels with vials, 258, 267 ; seven candle- 
sticks, 84, 88; seven churches, 76, 83; 
seven eyes, 133; seven heads, 184, 200, 
213; seven horns, 133; seven last plagues, 
see Plagues; seven mountains, 184, 291 ; 
seven seals, 134; seven spirits of God, 77, 
103, 123 ; seven stars, 85, 83, 109 ; seven 
thunders, 179, ISO. 

Seventh angel, voice of, 131, 192; seventh 
trumpet, 192. 



Shortly to come to pass, 73 ; Dr. Hammond 
on the phrase, 73, 74; Professor Stuart, 74, 
75, 76. See under Quickly. 

Sign great and marvellous, 257. 

Silence in heaven, 163 

Smoke, for gloom and darkness, 170 ; fills the 
temple, 264 ; ascendeth forever and ever, 
245, 246, 306, 312. 

Smyrna, epistle to church there, 95 — 102. 

Sodom put for Jerusalem, 190. 

Son of God, 105 ; of man, 84. 

Song of Moses and the Lamb, 260. 

Sorceries practised by Babylon, 310. 

Sores, represent afflictions and judgments. 
269. 

Souls of them that were slain, 149, 150. 
Spirit, being in, 82, 124; instructions of, 101. 
Star ; see Morning. 

Stars fall from heaven, 151, 166, 167, 169; sig- 
nify rulers, 201. 

Stars, crown of. 193. 

Stones, precious ; see under Precious. 

Stuart, Professor, on speedy fulfilment of Apoc- 
alypse, 74; believes it written before de- 
struction of Jerusalem, 38,39; inconsistent 
remarks on Revelation v. 13, 144 ; on 
metaphorical use of heavenly bodies, 1 55 ; 
on forty-two months, 186, 187; on Christ 
coming quickly, 194, 195, 349, 375; on 
the number of the beast, 229, 230 ; on pun- 
ishment in presence of the Lamb, 242 ; on 
the kings of the east, 276 ; on the phrase 
everlasting, 341. 

Sun, metaphorical use of, 151 ; third part 
smitten, 167; fourth vial poured on, 274. 

Sun not light on men, 161, 162, 274. 

Sup with him, sense of, 121. 

Supper, marriage, of the Lamb, 317 ; Lord's, 
317; of the great God, 321, 322, 324. 

Sware by him that liveth, &c, 180. 

Sword, two-edged, 85, 86, 102; of mouth, 103, 
320, 321. 

Synagogue of Satan, meaning of, 97, 114. 



Tail of dragon, drew stars after it, 200, 201. 

Tears wiped from all eyes, 162, 361. 

Temple, outward, or literal, 184 ; measured, 

185 ; image of seen in heaven, 196, 262, 

267. 

Temple, spiritual, or New Jerusalem, 116, 161, 
182, 184. 

Ten days, meaning of, 99 ; ten horns, 184, 200, 

213 ; ten kings, 184, 200, 213, 214. 
Thief, Christ came like, 109, 278, 279. 
Thigh, name written on, 321. 
Thirst no more, 161. 

Thousand, the hundred and forty and four, 156, 
157, 232: thousand years of church's pros- 
perity, 330, 331, 335, 337. 

Throne of Christ. 121, 122 ; throne set in hea- 
ven, 124 ; throne, white, 343, or mediatorial, 
344 ; Christ ascended it when he came in 
his kingdom. 344 ; thrones, or seats of the 
elders, 126. 

Thunder, used metaphorically, 279. 

Thyatira, epistle to the church there, 104 — 
108. 

Time is at hand ; see under Quickly and Short- 
ly; time no longer, 181. 



388 



INDEX. 



Titles of Jesus. [Besides those put down under 
other heads, see the following :] Faithful 
Witness, 77, 117; First- begotten of the 
dead, 78 ; Prince of the kings of the earth, 
78; Alpha and Omega, 81, 83, 378; First 
and the Last, 83 ; Son of God, 105 ; Holy, 
113; True, 113; Amen, 117; Lion, 136; 
Root of David, 137 ; Lamb, 138; Faithful 
and True, 318; Root and Offspring of 
David, 379. 

Tongues, gnawed, a horrid spectacle, 275. 

Travail, metaphorical signification of, 198, 199. 

Tree of life, 93, 370; fruit every month, 371 ; 
healing leaves, 371 ; believers had right to 
it, 378. 

Trial by affliction, 98, 99. 

Tribe of Juda ; see Juda. 

Tribes, Jewish, 158 ; sealed twelve from each 
tribe, 158. 

Trumpet, voice of, 82, 123. 

Twelve foundations of New Jerusalem, 366 ; 
twelve gates of do., 366; twelve thousand 
furlongs, measure of New Jerusalem, 367; 
twelve pearls, 368. 

Two hundred thousand thousand, 174. 

Tyre, description of, applied to spiritual Bab- 
ylon, 304. 

Unclean spirits, 276. 

Unjust, let him be unjust still, 375—377. 

Vesture dipped in blood, 320. 

Vials, (seven,) of God's wrath, 267; poured 
out upon the earth, 267, 268 ; first vial 
poured on the land, 268; second on the 
sea, 269; third on the rivers and foun- 
tains, 270; fourth on the sun, 274 ; fifth 
on the seat of the beast, 274 ; sixth on the 
Euphrates, 275 ; seventh into the air, 279. 

Vicarivs Filii Dei, 231. 

Victory over the beast, 259. 

Vine of the earth, 254; ripeness thereof, what 
it signifies, 254, 255. 

Vintage, metaphor of, 254. 

Virginity put for doctrinal purity, 234. 

Voice, as sound of many waters, 85 ; like the 
lion's roar, or as seven thunders, 179, 180; 
loud, 254 ; of harpers and musicians, 309. 



Voices from heaven, 233. 

War in heaven, 203 ; put for spiritual contests. 

205. 

Water of life, 362, 363; see under Fountain, 
pure river of, 370; invitation to drink of, 

379. 

Waters of sea, metaphorical use of, 212, 294. 
Whitby, Dr., on use of the word eternal, 247, 

342 ; on judging the quick and the dead. 

346. 

White horse, 146, 318 ; white raiment, a sign 
of purity, 111, 120, 126, 150, 160, 263; 
white stone, 103; white throne, 343. 

Whore, judgment of, 283; sat on a scarlet- 
colored beast, 285; arrayed in magnifi- 
cence, 286; signified the city of Rome, 
295, 296. See, also, under Babylon. 

Winds, metaphorical use of, 155, 156. 

Wine of fornication, 239, 240, 284, 298 ; wine 
of wrath of God, 241, 245, 284. 

Wine-press of God's wrath, 284 ; sense of met- 
aphor, 255, 321 . 

Without the city, without the camp, use of the 
phrases, 255. 

Witness, Jesus, 77. 

Witnesses, the two, 187, 188. 

Woe, woe, woe, 168 ; third cometh quickly, 
191. 

Woman clothed with the sun, 197, 198; fled 

into the wilderness, 202; persecuted by 

the dragon, 209, 210. 
Wonder in heaven, 197; another, 199. 
Woodhouse on the number seven, 76 ; on the 

judgment of the dead, 352 — note. 
Word of God, Christ so called, 320. 
Works, punishment according to, 106. 
World, (oikoumene,) 115. 
Wormwood, star by that name, 167. 
Worship of Christ, 139, 140, 142; John's 

splendid climax concerning, 143, 144, 159; 

worship not always divine, 317, 318. 
Wrath of the Lamb, 154 ; of God, came in his 

judgments, 195, 196; on the earth, 195, 

196. 

Zion, meaning of, 199, 232 ; Lamb stood on, 



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